Two Lionesses and An Outcast Angel
by Gearhead85
Summary: Squall's and Rinoa's youngest teenage daughter is having a hard time fitting in due to the fact she is a sorceress. Luckily she still has her sisters on her side. but what will happen when they goes on a mission and leaving their little sister unprotected
1. A Traumatic Birth

Hi. These two twin-sisters and their little sister will have some in common with a former story of mine. One thing that I want to explain right now because it is easy to mix them up. Butterfly swords don't have anything with the folding knife to do. It is instead a pair of single edged daggers. This is also the first time I am trying to put a message into the whole thing. I don't own Final Fantasy and never will. **I have been updating all chapters a bit that I wasn't too pleased with. **Also Luna's birthday is 6th of February.

Two Lionesses and One Outcast Angel

Chapter 1: A Traumatic Birth

Inside the Garden, a hyperactive Selphie was running all over squeaking. "The baby is coming, the baby is coming. Where the hell is Squall? Rinoa needs him A.S.A.P."

Just a few minutes ago, the girls of the gang wish now included Amie Dincht even known as the library girl were sitting in the cafeteria and enjoyed a nice breakfast with their children while they talked about motherhood when suddenly Rinoa went into labors. Quistis had escorted her to the infirmary as Selphie went to find Squall while Amie took care of the kids.

Squall walked around inside the training center was in deep thoughts as usual. ("Soon our third child will be born. I wonder how the twins will handle their roles as big sisters and more, how shall we rise them? So many questions and so few answers")

Suddenly Selphie stormed in yelling. "Squall, get to the infirmary. Rinoa is going to give birth any second. Quistis is with her right now while Amie is taking care of the kids."

("Oh Hyne, it is time. Calm down now, everything will be just fine.") He thought as he followed Selphie out into the main hall and set course towards the infirmary.

"Rinoa, I am here." He said as he practically barged into the delivery room and ran to grab his wife's hand.

"Squall, I don't know what is happening. The baby won't come out and they say something about blood." Rinoa said in a weak but panicked voice.

"We are loosing her." He heard Dr. Kadowaki say. "How is it with the baby?"

"Not to good." A nurse answered. "We must do a C-section if anyone shall survive."

"M-my baby, what is wrong with my baby?" Rinoa cried weakly as her strength started to wear out. "Hyne please don't take my baby."

"Get him out of here." Kadowaki screamed at the nurses as she nodded at Squall.

"RINOA." He screamed as four nurses struggled with getting him out into the waiting room.

The waiting seemed to last forever as he looked at how the minutes were ticking away.

Suddenly Dr. Kadowaki came with a sorrowful look on her face. "Squall, I think you better see Rinoa now. She doesn't have much time left. Complications occurred and we can't stop the bleeding. I am sorry, but there is nothing more we can do."

"And how is it with the baby?" Squall said with a trembling voice, fearing that more bad news were on their way.

"The baby is fine. You are now a father of a total of three healthy girls." Kadowaki said as a nurse rolled out a crib on wheels. "We nearly lost her but she fought well. And how she screamed when she finally came out. You have gotten a strong daughter with a pair of very strong lungs. But now at least she is sleeping."

He looked at the tiny figure before gently picking her up and held her in his arms before walking into his wife's room.

"S-squall, it is nice to see you. " Rinoa said weakly with a thin smile. Her skin was paler than usual, her raven hair was a mess and the beautiful warm chocolate eyes had lost much of their soul stirring energy."I know the end is near, and I have already accepted it. How is it with the baby?"

"She is fine. I have her with me so you can hold her." He said with a teary voice as he held their newborn daughter so she could see her.

She took the sleeping girl in her arms as tears streamed from her eyes as the small eyes opened and for the first time they looked at each other. "Hi there little one. I guess I won't be there for either you or your sisters. But I will always be with you all., even if you can't see me. And I know your daddy will rise you all pretty good."

"Do you want me to get Raine and Julia?" Squall asked with tears in his eyes.

"No, I don't want them to see me like this." She whispered. "But a name for her would be nice."

"What name do you think will suit her?"

"Luna, after the moon wish we met under for the first time six years ago." She said as her breathing became shallower. "I-I can't stay for so m-much longer."

"Isn't there a way for you to save yourself with your powers?" Squall said desperately. ("I don't want to lose you. I don't know how to handle it")

"I d-don't have the powers anymore. S-some-how I transferred them t-to her." She said as she gave Luna back to Squall. "T-take care of the kids. I...will...always lo..ve...y-you."

Her eyes closed after she had said the words and her whole body became limb as her soul left her body.

"Well, it looks like it is up to me now to give you and your sisters a good life." He said as tears strolled down his cheeks out of grief for his late wife. His legs just lost all strength so he had to sit down in a chair then everything just burst and he sat there crying silently. He clung to his newborn daughter as his whole body shook as he sobbed. ("How am I going to be able to handle three daughters on my own? Oh Hyne please.")

Then he could feel a tiny little hand stroking his cheek and when he looked up he met two clear ice blue orbs looked at him with a troubled expression and somehow he found some kind of calm and strength inside him.

"I guess you don't want me to be sad huh?" He said looking back at her. Somehow he almost could swear that she gave a nod at him.

"Well I guess then I have to cheer up and get my acts together." He said smiling as he dried his eyes. "Or how am I else going to have what it takes to take care of you and your sisters? Let's go and meet them, shall we?"

"There they are." Selphie yelled in delight as he walked out to his waiting friends who flocked around him to see the newborn girl. Both his three year old twin daughters Raine and Julia were there to and looked at their baby sister with amazement.

"Everybody let me introduce Luna Leonhart." Squall announced proudly as he held his daughter in his arms.

"She has your look." Irvine said.

"She even have your hair and eyes." Quistis noted.

"Can I hold her? Can I, can I? " Selphie said as she jumped up and down in happiness over the birth.

"Well okay, but don't drop her. She is one of the most important things in my life now along with her sisters."

"Hey, I am a mother to you know. So far I haven't dropped my little Tessa yet...at least not more than once." Selphie pouted.

("It is just that 'once' that scares me.") Squall thought as he handed over the newborn to Selphie.

"Careful Squall, Rinoa might get jealous at the kids." Zell joked in an enthusiastic tone as Amie stood by his side with little Chris in her arms. "When will the proud mother join the party by the way?"

Suddenly an awkward silence came over the group as they noticed how hard Squall struggled against the tears and everybody understood that something had gone terrible wrong.

"Daddy, when can we see mommy?" Little Julia asked as she tugged his jacket.

"Yeah, we want to congwatulate her to." Little Raine followed

"Raine, Julia. There is something I must talk with you two about." Squall said as he knelled down to be able to look his daughters in the eyes as a tear rolled down his cheek while he took their hands in his.

"What daddy?" Julia asked

"Yeah what?" Raine said "Why yoo sad?"

"The birth didn't go as planned and mommy lost too much blood." Squall said as he fought with the words. "Mommy is in heaven now together with Angelo."

"When will she come back daddy?" Julia wondered as she tilted her head wondering.

"Yeah daddy, we miss her." Raine said.

"Mommy isn't coming home any more. Mommy died so she is an angel now, but she promised to watch over us from up there." Directly as the words had left his lips Squall could see how his daughters eyes became watery and their lips started to whimper.

"No mommy." Julia finally wailed. "I want my mommy."

"Please daddy, make her come back." Raine cried to. "We want her back"

"Oh dear. Poor children." Quistis said as she looked at the two crying girls as she to got tears in her eyes as they mourned the woman who had became like a sister to her and Selphie.

Seifer who had been reestablished in garden and now also a SeeD did his best to comfort his blond wife.

"Damn, this sucks. You guys deserve a whole lot better than this. Oh poor Rinoa." Zell said as he comforted a crying Amie who had became real good friend with Rinoa due to all the time she used to spend in the library.

"If you need anything, it is just to ask. We will be there for you." Irvine said as he supported a teary Selphie who still had the newborn Luna in her arms and he had their daughter Tessa in his arms.

Everyone in the group had tears in her eyes looking at the heartbreaking scene of the commander who tried to comfort his two daughters.

"I know and I am thankful for that. The hardest part is that they will never see their mother again, and it will be hard for us all to live without her." Squall said as he rose up with his two crying daughters against his shoulders.

"That may not be our only problem either. Luna have gotten Rinoa's powers, but somehow we will manage." Squall said. "I owe that to Rinoa and our daughters."

14 years later

(Friday August 6th)

Quistis looked at the sisters in the classroom as she once again tried to figure out who was who, wish wasn't the easiest when they were in their uniforms and the only difference between their regular outfits were that Julia had a red vest with angel wings on the back while Raine had a denim with Griever and also added a pair of pilot goggles. Both had the same facial and body features as their mother, including the soft chocolate brown eyes and the raven hair.

She looked at one of the girls. "Raine, is it?"

"It is Julia." The girl answered with an amused smile. ("She is totally clueless, we even managed to become SeeD last week and got these new uniforms with identification-tags on and still she manage to mix us up. To bad for Raine that the female uniform still has a skirt to it.)

"Oh sorry Julia. What is the typical pattern of a T-rexaur attack?" Quistis said with a small smile.("Wrong girl once again. Quistis, when will you learn?")

"No sweat instructor. The answer is that it usually attacks with the tail before it tries to bite you." She answered still with the bright smile.

"That is correct. Enough for today. Class dismissed." Quistis said and the class started to leave. ("If these girls were just as easily to tell apart by their looks as their behavior is, it would be nearly to easy.")

("Raine is a tomboy and just like her father very inbound and quiet but she has her mother's short temper and you don't want to make her angry because even hell's fury can be counted as calm compared to her rage. Julia is outgoing and stubborn like her mother and have her trait of dragging the inner thoughts out of people. She is also a bit calmer than Raine and doesn't lose her temper to easily. Then they have their own sides to. Julia is a great chef and field medic, while Raine would try to warm tea water and succeed in making it unusable for living creatures. Instead she is a great mechanic and really good with flowers.")

She packed her belongings together with a sigh as her thoughts about the sisters continued to run trough her head. ("Then we have their little sister. The master of tactics and the heir of their grandmother's love for music and seems like she also get along with animals. Also a real bookworm like her mother.")

("Luna who had inherited their father's quiet inbound attitude wish somehow she has succeeded to mix together with their mothers cheerful attitude into an attitude of not let herself down. She is also very kind and helpful towards the people around her, even if they treat her bad. I know she get abused a lot because of her powers, but struggles to not letting it show.")

"Let's met up with Tessa and Chris for lunch." Julia said to her sister with excitement as they walked out from the classroom.

"I am going to take the opportunity to change to my normal clothes first. You know I hate these damn uniforms." Raine said as she looked at the uniform with a frown.

"Yeah, we know" Julia said with a small laughter. "One of the very few opinions that you actually voices instead of keeping it for yourself."

"Yeah whatever. Well see you later. I am also going to pick up Luna on the way." Raine said as she walked towards their dorm. ("This time I will try to get her before they do.")

"See you later Wrench." Julia called back, using her nickname due to her love for engines.

Julia walked into the cafeteria while thoughts ran trough her mind. ("I hope she won't fall victim to them today again.")

"Hey Julia. Over here." Tessa squealed happily as she waved from a table. "Where is Wrench?"

"She is changing from the uniform into something a bit comfier." She answered with a playful scowl.

"She still hates the uniform I hear." Tessa giggled.

"Well, she rather hates the skirt that comes with it." Julia answered. "She is also going to get Luna."

"Yeah, that poor girl is quite brave for not letting them get to her." Tessa said with sad frown.

Well inside the dorm wish Raine shared with her twin sister she changed out of the uniform and into the original style consisting of a black T-shirt and blue jeans. She also putted on her denim vest with some pockets with various tools and the Griever on the back and a pair of biker boots. ("Ah, finally I got out of that uniform and into something a bit more comfortable. I don't understand those students who constantly run around in these uniforms.")

On her way out she stopped in front of a photography they had hanging on the wall, picturing the two sisters, their father and mother while she was pregnant. ("It is fourteen years since mom passed away now. This photo is the closest we have to a full family portrait.")

Raine looked at the picture and felt a sting in her heart as a small tear emerged from her left eye.

("I wonder how life would have been if you hadn't died mom. Sure dad has been taking really good care of us, but sometimes it would have been nice to have had a mother to talk to.") She sighted as she stroke away a tear.

("Then we have Luna who never got the chance to get to know you. She is having a hard time right now with bullies who seems to dislike her only because she is a sorceress. Even her best friend betrayed her. Damn it, she is even wearing an Odine bangle to block her powers and trying to live like a normal girl. Everything just to get accepted. In a way it is my fault she is in that situation. If I just hadn't been sick she wouldn't had to expose her powers..")

She looked at the watch and hurried to wipe away the tears and walked towards the elevator to meet up with Luna.

The now fourteen year old Luna Leonhart walked out from the elevator on the bottom floor, only to once again get tripped by another student and fell flat on her stomach while the other students laughed at her.

"Oh, did the little witch fell? Did you get a boo-boo?" A girl said with a voice filled with mockery.

("Here we go again, but I will not let this ruin my day.") She thought as she struggled against the tears while she lie still on the floor. (" I will not let them win.")

"Hey nice panties." She heard another girl shout out between the laughter referring to the fact that her uniform skirt had lifted as she fell flashing her undergarments wide open for everyone to see. The words hit her as they were daggers right into her very soul.

("I understands why Raine hate the uniform so much, along with anything that even looks like a skirt. It almost hurts worse than when they slashed my back in the training class")She thought as she felt how the eyes became watery and her lower lip started to whimper but tried hard not to let it show. ("Words can't hurt me, words can't hurt me.")

"HEY, KNOCK IT OF. Leave her alone" An angry voice was heard as Raine came running with a flare in her eyes that could almost incinerate anybody she looked at."If you are going to pick on someone, then pick on me."

The crowd around Luna dissolved as they saw the butterfly swords in Raine's hands were shaking like the rest of her body in pure anger.

("Thanks Hyne, that sis came. I don't know how much longer I would have been able to fight back the tears.") She thought with relief as she started to rise up and collected her belongings with the help of her sister

.

"Did they hurt you?" Raine asked concerned her sister who according to their grandfather was a spitting image of their paternal grandmother.

"Well no, not physically at least." Luna answered with a small smile like she always did because she didn't want to worry her sisters, but Raine instantly noticed the teary look in the icy blue eyes her sisters had.

"Come, let's get something to eat." Raine nodded. ("Damn, why can't they just let her be?")

Raine and Luna walked into the cafeteria, ordered their food and sat down with her friends.

"Hi Wrench. Hi Luna. We started to wonder if you ever would show up." Chris said jokingly as he sat there in the same outfit his father Zell favored. They were quite alike except for the tattoo.

"We got caught up into something." Raine answered with a dark look in her eyes.

"What has happened?" Julia said as she to noticed the dark look in her twin sister's eyes and the watery eyes of her younger sister.

"They tripped her once again by the elevator. Next time I am going to slit their throats open with my butterfly swords." She hissed with a venomous voice.

"Why can't they just give it up? They must somehow get some kind of weird kick by doing this." Julia said as she shook her head.

"Can't your father do anything about it?" Tessa asked as she tugged on the arm of her green sweater she wore along with a white skirt and brown knee-high boots."He is the commander after all."

"He does all he can, but the bullies never leaves evidence enough to make the boarding members to kick any of them out." Julia said. "At the most they will get punished by the disciplinary committee lead by Quistis husband Seifer."

"Man, that sucks." Chris said as he gulped down another hotdog. "All because she happens to have a gift she didn't even ask for."

"Yeah that is so damn unfair as it can be." Julia said. "She didn't even hurt a fly and still she get treated like a bag of shit, just because she is different."

"Um hello, I am still here, so please try not to talk over my head. It is enough the others so it." Luna said as she tried to lighten up the mood.. "It is okay, I am getting used to it now so it doesn't hurt so much anymore."

"Still it isn't okay at all. We know you are trying to be strong not to worry us, but still it is wrong" Raine said as she looked down on her almost half eaten plate of sausage and macaroni. "The question is where we shall go after the lunch."

"We have four places to choose between where we can be alone." Tessa said. "The garage is one place, but it is quite cramped there and the only one who who would have something to do in there is Wrench."

"Then we have the library, mom is not going to let anyone bug you. Especially not since she became the head of the library." Chris said. "But it is not a great place to relax in."

"Then we have the training center, everybody in there is to busy with training to notice us." Julia said.

"But as we said before, we are going to relax a bit." Luna said.

"Then we only have one place left." Raine said. "The landing ground for the Ragnarok. There I can work with the engines while you guys rehearse your music."

"That sounds great." Julia said.

"Then it is settled. Let's finish our meals and get changed and get your instruments, and then we meet up there." Raine said and looked at Luna. "I am already changed so if you want I can make you company to your dorm."

"That would be great sis." Luna answered relieved. Every time she walked to her dorm she became an object for taunts and mean glares.

They finished their meals and each walked away to their dorms.

Raine and Luna walked trough the corridor leading to her dorm as some of the students they met either glared or whispered comments to each other.

"Don't listen to them. They only want to make you cry." Raine whispered as Luna nodded.

"Nice rear view you gave earlier. Going to show us again anytime soon little witch?" A grinning student said as he met them but immediately got pressed up against the wall by Raine with one of the big daggers against his throat.

"Say something like that again to my sister and I am going to take your tongue." She hissed as she brought out the other butterfly sword and placed it against the crotch. "And you will certainly never father any children. Have I made myself clear?"

The student just nodded terrified and left pretty quick.

"He wont bother you anymore at least." Raine said with a satisfied smile as she tucked away her weapons.

"He certainly wet his pants at least." Luna answered giggling.

When they came to her dorm Luna walked in while Raine waited outside.

Luna's room was a single dorm despite that she was still a cadet. Her sisters had requested that she would get a single dorm instead of them when they made it trough their exam, so she at least would have one haven away from her tormentors.

("Even if the boys are really rude towards me, the girls are the worst at bullying because they know what buttons to push to bring you down on your knees completely.") She thought as she let a few tears come out.

("Even my roommate and only friend May betrayed me when she together with some of the other cadets had walked into my room last year and then threw nearly all my undergarments into the fountain for everybody to see. Dad was furious and for once he even got a few students expelled for it including May, even if he rather wanted them executed...but who can blame her? She had quite pressure against her.")

She started to pull out some clothes from a dresser and started to change.

After a few minutes she was dressed in a white T-shirt, a jacket like their father's, black jeans and biker boots plus a black cap and fingerless leather gloves. She had pulled up her chestnut hair into a ponytail like her sisters often did and buckled her gunblade onto her belt and then placed a flower on a small shrine she had made in memory for her little kitten who had passed away in a tragic way five months ago.

("Moonbeam, I really miss you. Why did that had to happen? If I just had been more careful they wouldn't have been able to get her... It was my fault...just like when our mother died.")

("I never have told my family that I feel guilty over her death. I just don't want to have them worry about me, even if I think they know.")

She then walked to her bed took up her pillow, just to see if it had dried up yet or if it was still wet as it usually was after the countless nights she had cried herself to sleep. At least in here she could let out her frustration and other emotions without the possibility that anyone would get the pleasure of see her crying. ("That is at least something I am not going to let them get.")

("Hm, still a bit moist. I leave it to dry for a couple of hours more.")

She lay down the pillow and walked out to her waiting big sister.

"In those clothes, no one can mistake you for not being a Leonhart." Raine said with a smile.

"Well, that is the point." Luna said. "Even if the others are mean I am not going to hide away who I am. That would be like to let them win."

"That is right. Never be ashamed for who you are." Raine said with a supporting voice.

The friends met up by the Ragnarok and it didn't take long before Raine had disappeared into one of the jet engines outlet after disabling it so she wouldn't get incinerated if someone would try to start it. The other started to pull out their instruments. Tessa played an electric guitar, Chris played drums, Julia played acoustic guitar and Luna played violin. Luna was also the lead singer due to her voice she had inherited from their grandmother, the legendary Julia Heartily.

"Is it okay if we try a new song I wrote last night when I couldn't sleep?" Luna asked the others.

"Yeah sure. It look pretty good." Chris said as they read the paper.

"Then lets do it." Tessa said with a smile.

"This going to sound great." Julia said."I like the lyrics and what they symbolize"

They started playing and Luna directly took the lead.

Lyrics

"The star in the sky shines so bright"

"You have been my guide from the start, and I know you always will"

"I don't know who you are, but I know you are watching me from afar."

"I never met you, I never will"

"But somehow I feel your presence from that star, calling out to me"

"Oh please give me strength when the times turn bad to make it trough the day"

"Oh please give me peace at night for at least one decent moment of sleep"

"You heal my soul and setting me free because you are my star"

"As an angel in the sky"

End

Raine who had been inside the left engine had crouched out to listen to her little sister sing. And she knew right away what the meaning of her song was about. ("We knew that she one day was going to ask about mom. That day seems to have come.")

"Nice song you have written." Raine said as she walked to her sisters. "Where did you find the inspiration to that song?"

"Well, actually I have thought about this a long time." Luna said. "There is a few things I want to ask you about."

("I guess we both know what it is about.") Julia thought as she saw her twins facial expression. "You want to know more about mom, right."

"Well yeah, I don't really know anything about her more than how she looked alike" Luna said as she looked her sisters in the eyes.

"Um, I think mom wants some help with the festival plans." Tessa said and walked away.

Chris first looked a bit confused but then he understood the gesture Tessa had made. "Um, I think mom would need some help in the library."

When the sisters were alone they sat down on the ground and started talking.

"Please tell me about her." Luna said.

"Well, we don't remember to much of her either because we were just three years old when she died." Julia said. "But I still remember some abstract things like the scent of her perfume. It smelled like spring flowers."

"Yeah I remember that. Do you remember the apple pie she used to bake?" Raine said with a big smile at the memories. ("Good thing we have found a way to use GF without losing memories.")

"Yeah, I have tried to make that pie for years, but I never succeed in making it as good as she did it." Julia answered with an equally big smile as she saw the look of her younger sister who listened very close, even she with a smile. Suddenly they noticed that another figure moved into the landing ground.

"Hi girls. Am I interrupting something?" Squall asked his daughters.

"No, you are not interrupting anything at all." Julia said. "We were just talking about mom."

"Dad, why don't you join us if you have time?" Luna asked as she looked her father in the eyes. "Then you maybe could share the things you remember of her."

"Well, I guess I could take a break." He said as he sat down with his daughters. "Your mother was a fantastic woman. She had a stubbornness strong enough to bring down the moon if she wanted to. That same stubbornness was also the thing that helped me change from a cold loner into the man I am today. She even helped me to accept that Laguna was my father after I more or less had told him to go to hell when he told me the truth."

"Was it love at first sight when you met?" Luna asked as she sat with her knees curled up against her chest.

"Oh no." Their father laughed. "We first met at the inauguration ball just when I had become a SeeD. She practically dragged me out on the dance floor. I tried to fake that I couldn't dance, but she had decided that it was me she wanted to dance with and she didn't take a no for an answer."

"We danced for quite long, but then she disappeared and I thought that I never would see her again." He took a small pause before he continued. "But we met the next day again when I had been sent out on my first mission for the Forest Owls along with Zell and Selphie. It turned out that she was my employer and we met again."

"Aw so romantic. It was then you felt you wanted to spend your life together with her right." Julia said as she tried to imagine the scene in her head.

"Hell no." Squall laughed. "I thought she was quite annoying and naive about her thoughts of changing the world. I even made her cry a few times. But during the whole fight against Ultimecia I started to feel that I couldn't live without her, especially when she fell into a coma. I walked the whole way from FH to Esthar, just to get help because I didn't want to lose her."

"She was an extraordinary woman, and a great mother. She was really good at taking care of you. She often baked together with Julia and planted flowers together with Raine." He said as he leaned against the Ragnarok. "It pains me that you Luna never had the opportunity to know her. She was very proud of you all."

"Yeah, I can imagine." Luna sighted.

"She will always watch over you girls. Of everything she have done for me, you three are the best." Squall told his daughter but he felt a nagging thought in his head. (" I wonder how Luna will manage until tomorrow without her sisters as protection.")

"Well even if I liked talking with you about your mother, I searched you up for another reason." Squall said in a bit more business tone."Winhill have gotten problems with monsters again and have hired SeeD to clean up. I wished I could send someone else right now, but as you know I can't do any exceptions. The mission takes lesser than one day and the two others on the team are Tessa and Chris."

"It is okay. As you know, we don't want any special treatment." Julia said.

"Yeah, this is the life we have chosen." Raine followed, even if he could read in their eyes that they worried for their little sister now when they couldn't protect her.

"Well, I think I will be able to fend myself for at least one day." Luna said with a confident smile as she saw the worry in her sisters eyes. "So I just say go. I would feel bad for stopping you."

"Okay, then it is settled you leave in about an hour with the Ragnarok. Be prepared." Squall said and made the SeeD-salute wish all three girls returned.

Luna was at the landing site when the new SeeD were boarding the Ragnarok.

"Are you sure about that you will be okay?" Raine said worried to her sister.

"Yeah, I will be fine." Luna answered with a smile. "Just go. It is just for a day after all."

"Raine, it is time to go." Julia called after her and she disappeared into the big ship.

("Well, then it is up to me to manage until they come back.") Luna thought as she saw the Ragnarok take of.

She walked back into the Garden and back to her dorm. Luckily she succeeded in sneaking past most of the other students and thereby receive a minimum of insults this time. She took the opportunity to study and then went to bed. But the next day wouldn't become a pleasant matter for her.

The beginning of the chapter is parts from another story that I have erased because I felt it did more good here. Reviews are very appreciated so I know what you think of the plot-line so far.


	2. How To Treat A Witch

Hi. This chapter will be a bit more dark than the first one and I am going to introduce a new character that most of you is going to hate. Please forgive me for what I am going to do with Luna and no, she wont die, at least not physically. Like I said before, I don't own Final Fantasy

Chapter 2: How To Treat A Witch

Luna woke up around eight am, she didn't have any lessons to attend to because today was a Saturday.

("Raine and Julia is coming back in about three hours.")She thought as she took of her pajamas and dressed herself in her normal black pants and a white T-shirt. She let her jacket be because it was quite warm weather today.

("Time to get the mail and get over with it.") She thought as she took the notes that was found on her door nearly every morning.

("Let see what love letters I may have received today.") She thought sarcastically as she started to read them.

"Go and die." ("I am flattered my life means so much to you.")

"Hate you." (" Love you to")

"Fly away on your damn broomstick straight to hell little witch. ("Oh an offer to go on a voyage to a warmer place. How nice.")

("What a shame. No bag with Balamb Gardens famous smelly bathroom chocolate they use leave this time.")

She threw the notes in the bin and started to walk towards the cafeteria for breakfast, but she hadn't even made it out to the main-hall until she got surrounded by a bunch of students wearing masks.

"You are not that cocky now when your sisters isn't around to protect you, are you little witch?" The leader of the gang said while pressing her against the wall. Luna instantly recognized the voice as Raine's former boyfriend Evan McGee who had broken up with her after the revelation of Luna's powers two years ago. Raine had told both her sisters and their father that he broke up with her because she refused to sleep with him after her recovery, but Luna knew all that was a lie, because she accidentally overheard them when they had their last argument.

"I am at least not a coward like you who attacks in a pack and wearing a disguise Ewan." She said with a confident smirk ("They are just trying to scare me as usual. He wouldn't dare to do anything if he wants to win Raine back sometime in the future.")

But she couldn't have been more wrong than that. With out a warning the leader of the gang slapped her so hard that she fell to the floor. She tried to rise up but received kick on the right side of her chest and slumped down again as she felt a very intensive pain. The crowd dragged her up from the floor and before she had time to catch her breath, she received several beatings both in her face and her guts while the rest of the group yelled insults at her. She tried to yank herself free but to no avail.

"This is the way we treat witches around here." The one who she recognized as her sister's former boyfriend said as the assault continued. The beatings were so hard that she never got enough air to scream for help and she couldn't escape because some other of the gang held her arms tightly. "It is all your fault you bitch. If it hadn't been for you, me and Raine would still be together."

(" Help. Dad, Julia, Raine. Please it hurts.") She desperately cried out in her mind as she received hit upon hit but she knew her father was in his office and her sisters would be home eleven o clock and it was still only half past ten.

After nearly half an hour the abusers finally released their grip on her arms and walked away while she fell to the floor of exhaustion where she lied for some minutes to catch her breath before she tried to fight herself up on her knees. She felt except from some dizziness a stinging pain on her right side where she had been kicked and her nose bleed like hell smoldering her tattered white T-shirt, but she didn't care. She linked back to her dorm while fighting both the pain and the tears. She opened the door to her only sanctuary and walked in just to slump down on the floor again.

Aboard the Ragnarok Julia sat on the bridge and took care of the navigation while Tessa piloted the aircraft and Chris took care of the guns if it would be needed. Raine sat and overlooked the engine data.

"We killed plenty of caterpillars and bitebugs back there" Tessa said as they started to see Balamb Garden appear in the windshield.

"Yeah, we also gathered quite much magic to from them." Julia said as she sent away the request for landing permission."Sure the people were quite friendly towards us because of the fact our grandmother lived there along with aunt Ellone, but it feels great to be home again."

"Yeah, I wonder how things have been at home while we have been gone." Raine said as she noted down the readings from the engines. "I bet it has been just fine. We have just been gone for about a day after all."

When they had landed and walked out Julia and Raine immediately started to look around.

"Is something wrong?" Tessa asked.

"Well, we thought that Luna were going to meet us." Raine said with a worried expression.

"She has probably just overslept. It is Saturday after all." Chris said as he walked into the Garden together with the rest. "Let us report to the commander."

"You may be right." Raine said but couldn't help feeling a bit worried about it and saw that her sister shared her concern.

They walked into the office and gave their report.

"We cleansed the whole town of monsters. A total of one hundred and seventeen monsters were killed." Raine who was the squad leader reported. We also gathered quite much magic."

"Your report is received and we have gotten the payment. You are dismissed." Squall told the SeeDs he had in front of him and saluted. "Have a nice day."

They saluted and started to walk out when Julia turned around.

"By the way, you haven't seen Luna anywhere, have you?" She asked. "We thought that she was going to met us up at the landing site, but she didn't"

"Well no. I haven't seen her since yesterday when you guys left" He said as he looked at his eldest kids.

"Well, she is probably in her dorm. I will go and get her and then we meet up in the cafeteria for lunch." Raine said.

"Ok, but hurry. I am starving." Chris said enthusiastic.

"You and Tessa can go ahead while I follow Raine to get Luna." Julia said.

"See you there." Tessa said cheerfully as they parted.

Raine and Julia walked to their sisters dorm and knocked

"Wake up sleepyhead. We are going to the cafeteria to get some lunch." Julia yelled cheery trough the door but no one came and opened. "Luna? Are you in there?" Julia started to feel worried.

"Look at this." Raine said as she pointed at something that really made them worried. A bloody hand-print on the wall next to the card unit was seen. "I knew something was wrong."

"Please Luna, open up." Julia yelled panicked as she started to bang hard on the door. "Please open up."

"Wait, I have a spare key-card in my pocket." Raine said as she drew it in the reader and the door to their sister's dorm opened . The room was almost completely dark except for the light that made it trough the curtains.

They found their younger sister all curled up in a corner, sobbing quietly while hugging her old teddy-bear hard. It was the first time in years that they had seen her crying openly like this.

"Luna, what have happened?" Julia asked as she rubbed her sisters shoulder. "Please talk to me."

Luna looked up and fast hided the teddy-bear behind her back when she noticed her sisters. ("Damn, I didn't want them to see me this weak.")

The sight of her face made her sisters gasp for air as it was all bruised up. She had one black eye, her cheeks were wet of tears and her nose had bleed so bad that her white T-shirt was soaked with blood.

"Who did this?" A furious Raine said.

"I- I didn't see their faces. They jumped on me on my way to the cafeteria for breakfast." Luna whimpered between the sobs. ("Raine still loves him. I can't hurt her by telling her the truth.")

"Come here, let me clean you up a bit." Julia said as she pulled out a small first aid-kit from her vest and pulled out a piece of cotton to wash her face from blood and clean up some of the scratches.

"I will go to the cafeteria and get you something to eat. I know you like pasta alla carbonara. Do you want me to get that for you?" Raine asked Luna with a lean comforting voice after she had succeeded in calming herself.

Luna just nodded approving.

"Wrench, what took you so long? We have almost finished our meals" Tessa came up to her and asked with a frown as Raine came into the cafeteria and ordered the dish her sister favored. "And where is Julia and Luna?"

"Those bastards couldn't break her spirit so they broke her body instead." Raine said as she once again felt the rage in her body rise.

"What has happened?" Chris asked.

"They gave her a real beating. She looked like she had taken a trip to hell and back, so Julia is helping her to tidy up a bit right now." Raine answered. "I am here to get her something to eat. I just hope that her soul is in better shape than her body is."

"Now they have gone to far." Tessa said. "She haven't done anything wrong."

"Geez. Who did it? I am going to smash their faces." Chris said as he slammed his fist straight into the wall.

"She didn't see them. Those cowards were disguised." She answered with hate in her eyes.

Just then their father came walking into the cafeteria.

"Hi again." He said but noticed both that his two other daughters were missing and also the serious expression on Raine's face."Is something wrong? Where is your sisters?"

"I think you better see for yourself. Luna is in pretty bad shape right now" Raine told her father as she looked down on the tray with her sisters favorite dish. "But please don't get to terrified, even if she looks like she have been trough hell."

Raine and Squall walked towards Luna's dorm together with Chris and Tessa.

Tessa and Chris waited outside as guards and to see if they could find any clues of the abusers while Squall and Raine walked into the dorm. When they entered they found only Julia who was sitting on the bed.

"Where is she?" Squall immediately asked Julia with worry all over his face.

"I convinced her to take a warm shower just to get a bit more relaxed and ease some of the pain. She got pretty bruised up and three of her ribs is cracked on her right side. She also received a mild concussion." She answered and sadly nodded towards the bloody pants and T-shirt that lay on the floor. "This time they finally succeeded in breaking her completely. They beat her up real badly. She have even coughed up a little blood to as I helped her clean some of the wounds. She is also very scared"

Inside the bathroom Luna was in the shower. She let the warm water land on her bruised up body as she felt at least some of the aching disappeared, but the worst pain still lingered inside her head and in her heart. She had her arms crossed over her chest as she stood with her body slightly tilted forward to ease the pain from her cracked ribs and her whole body shook from the sobs.

("They finally won. They succeeded in breaking me, showed me how worthless I really am.") She thought as she sniffed as tears flowed from her eyes and blended with the water and the blood she just had washed away. ("I am just a burden for my sisters and for dad. I am totally useless.")

She stepped out from the shower and putted on a bathrobe before she looked at herself in the mirror. The blood was gone but she still had the bruises and the black eye. ("I couldn't even defend myself.")

She tried to put on a smile like she usually did but how much she even tried it looked to faked for anyone to actually buy it, especially her family. Suddenly she felt a sting of rage rise in her mind and she threw her fist straight into the mirror shattering the glass as she cried out loud of frustration. She looked into the shattered mirror while thoughts ran trough her head. ("Damn it. Now I am even worthless at hiding my feelings like I usually do.")

"Luna, are you ok?" She heard Raine's worried voice on the other side of the door.

"Y-yeah, I will come out in a minute." She said as she decided to walk out to her sisters and father inside her dorm

"Oh Hyne." They heard Squall exclaim at the sight of how badly his youngest daughter had been treated. "What have they done to you?"

"Here, I got some food for you. It is important that you try to eat a little to regain some strength" Raine said comforting as she placed the plate on the table.

" Thank you." Luna said in a low voice as she sat down on a chair and started to eat. ("All I do is being in their way.")

"I promise I will get those who did this and it will not be a pleasant sight when I am done with them." Squall said as he clenched his fist hard. "Is there a way for you to heal your wounds with your powers?"

"I don't want to use them. I don't even want them." Luna said with a stern voice as tears once again streamed down her chins. "When they look at me they don't really see me, just a sorceress. Those powers are not a gift, just a curse."

Squall couldn't do anything else than feeling bad for his daughter and he mentally kicked himself for even bringing the idea up.("Why did I even mention those powers when I know she hates them more than anything.")

"Until then we must find somewhere safe. Next time might be even worse and who knows what scars that will leave." Julia said as she saw her father in the eyes.

"Yeah, they have crossed the line once. It is just a matter of time before they do it again." Raine followed.

"I will see what I can do to find a safe location." Squall answered.

"Commander Leonhart, you have a phone call from Esthar in your office." The speakers suddenly announced.

"I am sorry, but I got to go. I am sure it is dad. But somehow I will arrange something so you can feel secure, I promise." Squall said as he leaved.

"Raine, Julia. Can I ask you all one thing? And I want an honest answer so don't lie to me please." Luna who had been totally quiet suddenly asked with a pained voice as she had finished about a third of her food.

"Yeah, you know you can ask us anything." Julia said soothing.

"Have... have I ever been a burden to you? I mean with the whole sorceress thing and all." She asked. "If you two hadn't needed to be there to help me protect myself, you two might have had the time over for boyfriends, parties and such things."

"Never, never ever even think like that. No boyfriend or party in the world would ever compensate losing you." Raine said as she embraced her sister gently. ("Thanks to you I am still alive. I owe you my life. Ewan is a fool if he thinks that I would choose him over you.")

"Our lives would not be complete without you. We are sisters and that will nothing change no matter what happens" Julia said as she to participated in the embrace. ("The damage they did to your soul seems to be far worse than the damage on your body. This once so self confident girl have turned into a total wreak. But hopefully she will walk out from this stronger than ever with the help from us and dad.")

Squall walked into his office and took the phone and answered the call.

"Hi Squall, glad to you." Laguna said. "It has been a while since we met. How is it with the girls?"

"Well, things could have been better. Luna is deeply depressed and afraid right now. Her sisters is trying to cheer her up right now."

"I am sorry to hear that. Does she still get teased and harassed?" Laguna asked sadly.

"If it just were teasing and insults, now they have begun with violence to. She got quite beaten up this morning." Squall told his father. "Right now I am searching for a safe location for her, while I am investigating wish ones who are responsible for it."

"Well , me and Ellone is on our way in Ragnarok II to the Garden to visit you and the girls. Maybe we could take them with us instead back to Esthar. That would at least solve some of your problems." Laguna said thoughtfully

"That would be great. Thanks dad, you are a lifesaver." Squall felt how the relief came over him. ("Everything will be ok. Now I only need to find the ones that beat her up.")

"Well, even a moron can do something right sometimes to." Laguna said proudly. "See you soon."

"See you soon dad." Squall said before he put down the phone and started to walk back to his youngest daughter's dorm because he figured that they all still were there. When he walked into the dorm Luna had finished her meal and put on some clean clothes.

"Girls, pack your bags. You are going to Esthar, Laguna is picking you up as fast as he have landed." Squall said. "You are going to stay there for at least a week. Luna, you are going to."

"Is aunt Ellone coming to?" Julia asked in delight.

"Yes, she is." Squall said with a smirk at his daughter's reaction. ("The girls have always been quite fond of Ellone. In some some situations she have been there for them as a mother in ways I couldn't like their first cycle and the beginning of their puberty.")

"We will just walk to our dorm and pack and then we will come back, ok?" Raine said to Luna who just nodded approving.

They walked to their dorm and started packing.

"I guess they must have given her her a real beating to break her like that." Raine said with a dull voice. "She is so down that she doesn't even manage to smile like she normally does, even when she is sad."

"She probably received a kick to." Julia responded.

"They succeeded in busting three ribs after all. Of what she says, the beating lasted for nearly a half an hour."

"It is just not fair that such a wonderful person like her who never complains about it must go trough things like this." Raine said. "I hope aunt Ellone and grandpa will be able to cheer her up at least a bit."

"Yeah, that is really a pity." Julia stroked away some tears. "She should have friends swarming around her like flies around syrup. Instead they treat her far worse than shit."

"When I get my hands on the guilty I am going to give them such a treatment that they will beg about getting killed in pure mercy." Raine said as she packed the last things. "Anyhow I think grandpa will land any minute now. Let's go and help Luna pack so she don't restrain those ribs."

On their way back to Luna's dorm they met Ewan who stood leaning against the wall. "Hi Raine. Going away so soon again?"

"Yeah, we have to take care of a family matter so we are going to Esthar." Raine answered.

"Is your your grandpa ill?" Ewan asked.

"No, they are fine. The thing is that Luna got beaten up pretty bad this morning, not that you would care." Raine said sadly.

"Well I could have given you some comfort if you hadn't broken up with me."

"Well you gave me no other choice. I am not going to severe my ties to my family just to be with you." Raine nearly shouted in anger at him.

"Hey, I don't have anything against Julia and your dad is the one that inspired me to become a SeeD." He said as he raised his hands.

"You forgot one. I have two sisters actually."

"No I didn't, frankly I don't care a bit about that little witch. But I care about you." He said as he walked away. "But you know where you can find me if you change your mind."

("Why are you playing with me Ewan? ") Raine thought as she watched him leave. ("You know that I still have feelings for you, but I love both my sisters too much to push one of them away.")

"What was that about?" Julia said confused. "I thought you two broke up because you didn't want to sleep with him yet?"

"That was a lie. The real reason was that he didn't want to have any connections with a sorceress and I will not push away someone I love, just to satisfy another."

"He is quite an asshole." Julia said irritated. "If he truly loved you, he wouldn't put you in such a situation."

"Yes, but I don't regret my choice one bit. You and Luna means to much to me to lose." Raine said. "But please don't tell Luna. She is having it tough as it is without the need to feel guilty for my break up when it isn't her fault. The fault is his because he asked for the impossible."

"Your secret is safe with me." Julia answered as they continued to walk towards their younger sisters dorm and helped her pack..

They came out just when the Ragnarok II arrived. Their father was there as well.

"Girls, nice to see you again." Laguna said as he walked down the landing ramp with a big smile, followed by an equally happy Ellone.

Ellone ran down the landing ramp and hugged both Raine and Julia in pure happiness. "Oh it has been to long since we last met."

"Yeah, we have missed you to. It must have been at least two years ago now." Julia said as she hugged back.

"It is so great to see you." Raine said as she to returned the embrace.

"You look much more healthy now than last time Raine." Ellone said cheerfully but then noticed the figure that stood a little further away with the brim of her cap covering her eyes as she tilted her head towards the ground. "Luna, I heard of what has happened. How bad did they hurt you?"

" I will manage. I always do somehow." Luna answered as cheerfully she could but immediately knew that her voice sounded quite faked and tired. ("Damn, I didn't want grandpa and aunt Ellone to worry about me more than they have to. I don't want to bother anyone more than necessary.")

("Trying to be brave until the end. You are certainly without doubt your fathers daughter.") Ellone thought as she helped Luna aboard because the ribs made it quite difficult to walk those stairs. The twins followed right away while Laguna kept talking to Squall.

"It must have been a living hell for her to get that badly broken." Laguna said to his son.

"It pains me to see her like that. Yesterday we laughed and talked about Rinoa, and now she barely say anything at all." Squall answered. "Damn, I promised Rinoa on her deathbed that I would take care of the girls but I failed to help Luna when she needed me the most."

"Don't punish yourself. You couldn't have known that she needed help" Laguna said. "I really hope that you find those who is responsible for it."

"Me to. See you in about a week then." Squall said as they parted and Ragnarok II took of. ("Hope they will be ok.")

On board the bridge Laguna piloted the ship with Ellone as co-pilot and the twins had engaged in a game of triple triad. Luna had been sitting and playing on her violin down in the cargo bay to be alone for s bit.

("Oh great, now I have become a burden for grandpa and aunt Ellone as well. Why even bother?") Luna thought as she played on a sorrowful tune. ("Everything had been better if I hadn't even been born. I am just a burden for everybody I love. Thanks to me, Raine is unhappily in love.")

Up on the bridge Ellone rose up from the co-pilot seat and walked over to the twins and sat down with them. "Can you girls please fill me in a bit closer of what have happened?"

"When we came back from the mission we went to get her for lunch and found her curled up in a corner of her room crying." Julia said as she stroke away some tears. "She had been beaten up quite much, and I guess they taunted her to while they did. They did a pretty good job at destroying her self esteem this time."

"To be real honest. We don't really know what to do to help her. She has begun to think that she is just a burden for us, but she is not." Raine said as a tear rolled down her cheek. "She is the sweetest person I know. She comforted me when me and Ewan broke up and I felt down two years ago."

"And when I was dying in leukemia and had just days left she healed me, even if it meant that everybody then knew that she is a sorceress. The doctors from Esthar had given up all hope but she sacrificed everything to save me. That is so damn unfair. She became an outcast because she did something that really would made her a hero." Raine continued.

"We just wish that we somehow could repay her in any way by helping her now." Julia said still with teary eyes. "I am quite amazed about that she haven't had this breakdown earlier. She just smiled at the hardship. Even when she got betrayed by her best and in the end only friend and they threw all her panties and bras into the fountain a year ago. That was the worst thing they have ever done until now."

"I am sure she will be fine with your help. She is a fighter after all." Ellone said softly as she returned to the co-pilot seat to help with the landing.

They landed in Esthar after nearly four hours of flight precisely in time for dinner.

"I hope that you girls don't mind that we have a small feast to celebrate." Laguna said with a small grin on his face.

"Not at all." Both of the twins said simultaneously in delight.

"I will help cooking." Julia said. "I love cooking."

"Have your cooking abilities improved anything Raine?" Ellone asked.

"A little bit, now at least I can make food usable out in the battlefield." Raine answered

"You mean food that is at least edible if you are really really hungry?" Laguna asked a bit confused.

"Not quite. Ever heard of biological warfare?" Raine said with a smirk as everybody on the bridge laughed.

"I will go and tell Luna that we have reached our destination." Ellone said as she took the elevator down and walked towards the cargo bay.

"Luna, we have landed." Ellone said as she walked into the cargo bay just to find the girl sound asleep on some crates. ("Poor child, it must have been a rough day for her.")

She gently shook the girls shoulder to wake her up.

"I don't want to go to the lessons today." Luna mumbled in her sleep.

("She looks so cute when she is sleeping, even with all those bruises") Ellone thought with a smirk, but the next words that came from the sleeping girl disturbed her.

"Can't tell. Don't want to hurt Raine. Must keep quiet."

("What was that about?") Ellone thought as she once again tried to wake up her sleeping niece.

"W-what? Are we there?" A newly awoken Luna said as she looked up.

"Yes, we have landed." Ellone said softly. "Come, we are right now preparing a small feast."

"Don't tell me that you are letting Raine into the kitchen." Luna said as she rose up and followed Ellone out.

"Don't worry. She has already told us about her cooking skills. The only one that will be in the kitchen of us is Julia. The rest is up to the Estharian cooks." Ellone said with a small laugh at the girl's relieved expression.

"Good, last time Raine tried to cook was when it was her turn to help out in the cafeteria four years ago will certainly be written into Balamb Garden's history books as the great food poisoning incident. Ever since then she has been banned from the kitchen and to her delight, Julia gets double shift. Good thing no one decided to attack then." Luna said with small smile as she thought back. ("It was a wonderful time. I didn't have to sneak around like a rat around cats to avoid insults and humiliation.")

("She smiles an honest smile. That is at least a good sign that she isn't completely broken, but I must ask Raine about what is going on. If she knows what Luna meant.") Ellone thought while they walked into the presidential palace.

They all sat around the table and joked and laughed about the most things they could get into their mind even if one laugh was kind of halfhearted, both because she wasn't really in the mood and because her ribs hurt when she tried. After the dinner Laguna and Julia sat down in the library while Raine and Ellone walked out to the presidential garden to plant some flowers and take away the weed. Luna who still felt a bit a bit tired after everything walked to the guest room assigned to her to take a nap.

"Pooh, that was a tough one." Raine said as she finally succeeded in digging up the rot to one weed that sat deep in the dirt. "But it feels great when it is done."

"Yes, it does." Ellone said and then looked at Raine. "Um, can I ask you about one thing that have been on my mind since I woke up Luna after we had landed?"

"Yeah sure." Raine answered as she saw the concerned expression Ellone had.

"Luna mumbled something in her sleep, that she wouldn't tell because she didn't want to hurt you." Ellone said. "I wonder if you maybe know what it might be?"

"Oh Hyne, don't say that it is what I think it is." Raine said terrified.

"What is it then?" Ellone wondered.

"Something I must talk with her about. I let you know later" Raine answered. ("Hope she don't know why I broke up with him.")

Next chapter will be a bit brighter and maybe a bit more humorous. Reviews are welcome so I know a bit more what turn the story may take. The ending tough for once is decided, it is the way there that is still uncertain and may affect the ending.


	3. The Awakening

Hi, . This chapter is going to be a bit happier and a bit humorous even if it will come some angst here to. I am going to introduce a new treat to and it will come some action later on. I also want to warn for some swearing even here so if you want I can change the rating to M if someone find it necessary.

Well I think you know by now that I don't own Final Fantasy so that is why this disclaimer will be the last one during this story.

Chapter 3: The a Awakening

(Sunday August 8th)

The next morning Luna woke up and looked up at the ceiling a few minutes to think. ("Somehow I feel a bit more at peace this morning than yesterday evening. A good night sleep can really put things into perspective. Especially when you for once don't have to cry yourself to sleep, knowing that the next day will be just another day in hell.")

She stepped out of the bed. ("Even if I felt like shit yesterday and still feeling a bit down, I can't become an even greater burden for my sisters by becoming catatonic. Better at least try to act like I am feeling much better.")

She dressed herself and changed the battery in her Odine bangle before she walked down for breakfast. Her sisters where already at the table.

"Good morning Luna." Julia said as she noticed her.

"Good morning to you to." She answered as cheery as she could.

"How do you feel?" Raine asked. ("She seems quite up today. She is probably trying to put up a brave front as usual.")

"Well pretty good due to the circumstances."

She took an empty seat by a bowl of oatmeal and started to eat.

"What do you girls have in mind for today." Laguna said as he looked up from his bowl.

"Well, we haven't thought about that yet." Raine said.

"Maybe you should take the opportunity to take a look at the different malls we have here in Esthar." Kiros said as he walked in with Ward right behind.

"That sounds like a great idea." Julia exclaimed in delight.

"There is a new mall in the eastern part of the city. You should check that out. They have beautiful dresses and skirts that would fit you girls pretty nice." Ellone said

("Oh Hyne, now they are going to try to dress me up like Tinkerbell like they always try to do when we go shopping") Raine thought as she apparently also made a face at the idea of skirts and dresses.

"Don't worry Raine. We might find something suiting for you to." Ellone said as she tried to not to giggle to much.

"What do you say Luna?" Julia looked towards her little sister. ("At least she might get her mind of some things")

"Well, that sounds like fun. I need to buy a new T-shirt anyway to replace the one that got ruined yesterday." She answered.. ("Better play along or else they will continue to worry.")

"We leave after breakfast then." Ellone said as they all continued their breakfast.

The three sisters and Ellone left for the mall and when they arrived the sisters eyes grew wide at the

size.

"Amazing." Julia said in ave as they walked into a fashion store.

"Hey, this one would suit you Raine." Ellone said as she showed a black sleeveless garment made of some kind of silky material.

"But, but that is a...dress." Raine exclaimed terrified at the sight.

"Well, would it kill you to be a bit feminine for just five damn minutes?" Julia scowled as she walked into one of the dressing rooms to try a new skirt. "Geez, sometimes I start to wonder if I have a twin brother instead of a sister."

"Fine, I will try it if it makes you so happy. But I won't promise that I will like it." Raine said as she walked into another dressing room, and soon an angry scream was heard. "GAAAAAH. How the hell do you put this thing on?"

"Open the zipper on the back and then step into it. Here you have some matching shoes to." Ellone yelled back inside as she gave Raine a pair of black stilettos and after some minutes Raine came out in the dress and shoes you and could tell how she how mush she hated it just by looking at her face. She looked more or less like a wet cat.

"This is so not me." Raine whined miserably as she nearly tripped with the high heeled shoes on her feet.

"Aw, but you look so cute in it." Julia said with a big smile as she saw her sister in the small black thing."With a dress like that all the boys will be all over you."

"So what? Most of the boys at the Garden are numskulls." Raine pouted unhappily.

"There are boys in both Balamb and Timber to. Not to forget Deling city and Dollet." Ellone said with a smirk

Luna tried not to the laugh at her sisters unhappy face but failed miserably and broke down uncontrollable giggles. ("She really hates that dress.")

Julia looked at her younger sister with some relief. (" Good thing to see her smile and laughing at least. Maybe she is recovering faster than we thought.")

Raine changed back to her usual clothes and they continued to a music store.

"I can't believe it. These records are impossible to find in the other parts of the world." Luna said as she picked up an album with the label Eyes On Me.

"I hear that you like the oldies." A clerk said as he looked on Raine and Julia.. "Ah you two even look a bit like her. You could nearly think that someone of you could have been her daughter, but she must be around thirty seven today of what I have heard."

They paid for the records of their grandmother and left.

"If he just knew how close he was when he said that we easily could have been mistaken for Julia Heartilly's daughters.." Julia said as they left the store.

"Yeah, especially with the coming singing bird right here." Raine said as she lay her arm around Luna's shoulders.

"Na, I am not that good." Luna said a bit embarrassed at the remark.

Suddenly a terrified scream was heard and a behemoth came rushing trough the crowd from the zoo.

"Hold this." Raine and Julia said as they gave the wares they had bought to Ellone as they brought out their weapons and junctioned Ifrit and Shiva. Luna could just be a spectator to the battle because those broken ribs caused some problems swinging her gunblade properly.

Raine did some pretty nice cuts with her butterfly swords and Julia succeeded in sticking one of her sai into the monster and the victory seemed near.

Suddenly the monster panicked and started to rush towards a playground were two kids where playing.

"Oh no, my grandchildren." An elderly mans voice yelled. "Please anybody, save them."

"Shit, no one of us will get there in time." Raine cried out in terror as she and Julia tried to save the kids.

"But I can." Luna said as she snapped lose the Odine bangle and soon a pair of wings shot out from her back and she took of. ("I hoped that I never would use the sorceress powers again, but I can't let the children die without doing anything. ")

She flew rapidly past the monster and she stood in front the behemoth with her arms out as she took a deep breath trying to calm herself as she concentrated and felt the confusion and fear inside the creatures mind.

"Luna, no." Raine yelled as they saw how the behemoth ran at full speed at their little sister.

Luna started to talk to the furious beast as she felt their souls combining. "I know you are scared and don't know where you are."

The monster growled but seemed to calm down and stopped just it reached her.

"Don't be afraid..My sisters didn't mean any harm but just wanted to protect the people around here." She said stroking the monster's nose almost like a dog. "Please leave this city. You have friends out in the plains"

With a growl the behemoth turned around and and ran away towards the city gates.

As the connection broke she almost slumped down of exhaustion as the wings folded and disappeared. When she looked up she noticed how the event had drawn quite the crowd around her but instead of cheers, you could hear the people whisper the word "sorceress" and "witch", and the expression on their faces were full of fear.

Suddenly some people in the crowd started to shout phrases like, "Go away witch" and "Leave us alone and never come back."

"But, but I just wanted to help." Luna said shocked by the reaction from the crowd as tears began to come in her eyes, but the shouts just continued and suddenly she got hit by a bunch of rotten tomatoes on her chest and shoulders.

Her sisters had to step in the path to shield her from the bombardment of rotten vegetables and fruit while they fled from the raging crowd while Ellone tried to calm the crowd. In their flight they dropped the record of Eyes On Me to the ground.

Later that evening Raine walked into the living room where Julia, Laguna and Ellone sat in their couches.

"How is she?" Ellone asked concerned.

"She is devastated. Even in worse shape than when we found her yesterday ." Raine said shaking her head in sorrow. "She is just sitting there clutching her old teddybear. She barely ate anything."

"The small progresses she had done today is completely thrown out trough the window. We are back on square one." Julia answered "Dammit just when she started to loosen up. To make matters worse she lost both her bangle and the record when we fled. Hyne she must be really bad when she doesn't even care about that she is seen showing weaknesses like she usually try to hide behind a smile."

"I can get her a new Odine bangle tomorrow." Laguna said. "But the record will be a bit harder."

"Why can't people try to understand that there are good sorceresses to. After all she saved two kids out there." Raine said with a sigh.

"Old habits that was created when Adel ruled is hard to break." Laguna said. "We can just hope she will get over this to."

"Anyhow she need us now, and all we can do is to be there for her." Julia said as she and Raine rose up and walked towards their sister's room.

"I hope that Raine and Julia succeeds in cheering her up." Ellone said. "I am going to bed. See you tomorrow uncle Laguna."

"See you tomorrow Elle." He answered

In her room Luna sat on the floor by the window with her old teddy bear that she had smuggled with her in her arms as tears streamed from her eyes. (" Damn it, just when I started to feel safe something like this happen and I once again becomes an outcast, an abomination, a fucking freak. Whatever I do seems to backfire against me.")

("This bear have always given me some comfort when I feel down but at the same time wants to be alone. He is the only one I feel that I can talk to without risking hurting his feelings. He have given me strength to act stronger than I really am, even in front of my family when times have been hard.")

She leaned against the wall as she drew a deep sight as some tears made it down her cheeks . ("I tried to be myself and fight on these two last years as good as I could for my father's and sister's sake too not let me break. To keep smiling despite how sad I felt just because I didn't want them to worry.")

("But the limit on how much I could handle of the abuse was almost completely busted yesterday and the events today was the final nail. These two years have truly been hell. I actually don't know how much longer I can take it. Sometimes I just feel like giving it all up and just vanish into thin air.")

("Even before my powers got revealed I never felt that I could get real close to people except for May and of course my father's friends families who already knew.. I always had to hide away a part of myself to be accepted. Sure I had friends back then but no one really close that I could feel that I could share any secrets with more than May and Kaylee. And then the pain when everyone turned their backs at me. That is something I never want to experience again.")

("I wonder how it feels to be truly loved because of who you are without hiding anything. Sure my sisters and my father loves me but that is not the same kind of love as between friends, or between lovers.")

Her thoughts began to weighting her down more and more so to calm down she began to sing. She always sang when she felt down because somehow it always eased her mind and helped her avoid breaking down completely.

Lyrics

"I don't ask for much, just to feel safe"

"I don't want anything else in the world"

"Just to be loved, for who I am"

"You look at me, with fear in your eyes and hate in your heart"

"Oh I just wish that you could feel the sorrow I feel"

"Just because of the hate you feel towards me, for what I am"

"Oh I wish that you could forget the hate, and instead could hold me dear"

"For who I am"

End

Raine and Julia walked towards Luna's guest room while thoughts spun around in their heads on how they would try to help her trough this.

They opened the door and peaked in and was met by some beautiful yet sorrowful tunes as they heard their sister sing.

("Poor girl. People don't know what they are missing by not even trying to get to know her.") Julia thought as the last tunes hit her ears

"Luna?" Raine said a softly. "Do you have a moment? Or are we interrupting something"

"Well no, come in." Luna said still holding the teddybear.

"You know that you can tell us exactly how you are feeling." said concerned."If you don't start to ventilate your feelings they will crush you. We will be there for you."

"It is far more than I deserves." Luna said as she fought against the tears again. "Whatever you say say I know I am just a burden, not even capable to protect myself."

"Oh for crying out loud, you were outnumbered by seven people yesterday and today it was a whole crowd." Raine said. "You if anyone deserves a bit of peace."

"No, I am not." Luna started to feel her emotional control crumble.

"Yes you are. A such person like you who always put others first isn't to easy to find." Julia said and with those words finally Luna's emotional barrier broke down and she flew up from the floor out of anger throwing away the teddybear to the other end of the room.

"THEN TELL ME WHY CAN'T ANYONE LOVE ME FOR THE ONE I AM IF I AM A SO DAMN GOOD PERSON? WHY IS EVERYONE INSTEAD HATING ME FOR WHAT I AM WHEN I CAN'T DO A SHIT ABOUT IT?" She yelled out of anger as tears flowed down her cheeks. "...I AM NOTHING...JUST A FUCKING ABOMINATION."

Raine and Julia who were pretty startled by the the sudden outburst didn't know what to say so they just looked at her with concerned eyes, but they was relieved that their sister finally showed some true strong emotions instead of just try to smile them away.

"And...I am hurting one of the most important persons in my life by my mere existence." Luna said between the sobs as she calmed down .

"What are you talking about?" Raine said as she to rose up and looked in confusion at her sister.

"I know why you and Ewan broke up. He couldn't accept that his sister in law was a sorceress and you refused to push me away." Luna said as she looked back at Raine.

"I heard everything during the last fight you two had before you broke up. I didn't mean to eavesdrop but was on my way to you for comfort because you and Julia was the only ones that I felt I could trust except from May, at least until a year ago."

"I...I am sorry that you heard that. But I would never shut any of either you or Julia out only to satisfy another." Raine said as she looked her sister in the eyes.

"He still loves you." Luna continued. "And I know that you still loves him. I can tell that by the way you look at him."

"Yeah I still have feelings for him. But how do you know that he still likes me?" Raine said still a bit confused. "I gets the impression that he just like to play with my feelings."

"I got that impression to yesterday when we met him." Julia followed as she to rose up. "He had a very mocking attitude towards us."

"He told me that yesterday, or rather yelled it straight in my face." Luna said.

"Did he really say that he still likes me?" Raine said as her face brightened up, but then something hit her mind. "Wait a minute. What time did he tell you these things exactly?" ("Please don't let it be true what I think it is.")

"It doesn't matter." Luna said as she shook her head. ("I don't want to hurt you, but you are not making it easy for me.")

"Yes it does. What time?" Raine pushed as she looked her little sister straight in the eyes.

"He told me that when I was on my way for breakfast."

"That means that he was one of those who..." Raine started to say and noticed the expression on her little sister's tear tainted still bruised up face and instantly knew the truth.

"That little rat. I am going to rip his balls of when I see him." Raine hissed between her clenched teeth as her face turned red of anger. "And he had the guts to talk with me just a few hours after just like nothing had happened. Nobody hurt any of my sisters and get away with it. I am going to show him what a lioness can do with filthy small rats like him."

"I am sorry I ruined your relationship." Luna said as she looked up at her sister again. "It was my fault he broke up. If it hadn't been for me you two would still be together."

"No we wouldn't. I would be dead." Raine said soothing. "And with these revelations I am glad that we don't date anymore. How could I be so damn stupid to date that jackass."

"He is so dead when dad get to know this." Julia said as her eyes darkened."How mush of the injuries is his work?"

"He did all the beating. The others except those two who held my arms did just shout insults while he beat me up. And the insults is probably something that I am going to have to live with for the rest of my life."

"Maybe. But to be able to handle it you need to start loving yourself again and even allow yourself to think on yourself sometimes to and not always putting others needs over your own." Julia said comforting. "And by that you also need to learn to love the sorceress part to."

"She is right. Before you learn to love that part to, you will never be able to fully accept yourself." Raine said. "Even if you like it or not, is it a part of you to."

"And one more thing." Julia said. "You must start fighting back instead of just trying to smile at it and pretend that there is nothing wrong. If you keep doing that, you will soon start to think that you deserves to get beaten and insulted."

"I...I will try." Luna looked at her sisters.

"It is getting late. We will talk more tomorrow. " Julia said as she walked out. "Good night Luna."

"Good night Luna. See you tomorrow." Raine said as she to left.

"Good night to you to." Luna said.

She changed to her pajamas and then walked to the corner where her old teddybear had been thrown earlier when she had snapped and picked it up. ("They told me to learn to love myself again.")

("They also told me to start to accept the powers residing within me.") She sat down on her bed holding the bear in her arms. ("Just like it was the most simple thing to do in the world.")

("Well, I better take care of those concerns tomorrow after a good night sleep. Depending on how good it might be.") She thought as she lay down lay down the bed hugging the bear tightly. ("Hope tomorrow will be better than these last days at least.")

Soon she was sound asleep again but she had a very strange dream.

The Dream

She walked through a flower field, the sky was clouded and gray. She could see the lightning beyond the horizon and a tick fog moving around her.

Suddenly she could see a shape standing a few meters in front of her with it's back towards her.

"Raine? Julia?" She asked as she moved closer. ("It looks like Julia with those angelwings on her back, but the color on her duster is the same as Raine's vest. Her hair is at least the same as theirs except that they just like me wearing it in a ponytail.")

"Who are you?" Luna asked as the figure turned around and the sight nearly stopped her heart. ("Oh Hyne. She looks just like my sisters, but a little older somehow. No, it can't be.")

"Mom?" She said with trembling voice. "Mom, is that you?"

"Luna, my sweet child." The apparition of her dead mother said. "I have longed for to see you for so long. The battle is coming along with a new enemy, and you are our biggest hope for victory."

"No, that can't be right." Luna said as she shook her head in disbelief. "I am not strong enough."

"Don't think like that. You have an inner strength, you must just let it come out." Her mother said. "How else could you manage these two years of being an outcast?"

"I am useless." Luna said in distress. "I only managed because I had my sisters around me, protecting me. As soon I was left alone my weakness became very obvious."

"You are stronger than you think. Believe in yourself, believe in your powers and your sisters." Rinoa said as she started to vanish out in the fog. "That is our only hope."

"No, mom wait. What is the new enemy?" Luna called as she tried to run after her mother but to no avail. "What shall I do? Answer me."

Reality

"MOM"! Luna yelled as she woke up and found herself sitting in her bed with sweat lacking down her forehead. ("Was everything just a dream?")

She stepped out of the bed and looked herself in the mirror. ("Why me? I am not strong enough to have the fate of the world resting on my shoulders.")

("Trust my powers? Mostly they have been a great pain in the ass rather than a help.") She looked down on her hands. ("Well, if I am going to trust them I better use them.")

She brought her hand up and touched her face while she closed her eyes and concentrated hard, and suddenly she felt a warm glow spreading trough her body as the pain from the bruises in her face and from her ribs first sting a bit before it eased and vanished. When she opened her eyes again she saw that the bruises and the black eye was gone. She took of her pajamas jacket and saw that the bruise on the right side of her chest had vanished and her broken ribs had healed to. ("Despite if it was just a dream or if it means something, at least it feels good to get rid of the pain.")

She changed from her pajamas to her normal clothes and walked down to the dinner hall for breakfast.

Down in the dinner hall Julia, Raine and Ellone sat already by the table.

"I wonder if we reached Luna last night." Julia said as she stirred her breakfast with her spoon.

"I don't know." Raine answered thoughtfully. "We can just hope that she will regain some confidence and self esteem, but we don't know how deep her scars are."

"Did you find out what it was she mumbled about when I woke her up after we had landed?" Ellone asked.

"Yeah, my old good for nothing boyfriend was the one who beat her up." Raine hissed venomously in contempt. ("He will be sorry when I get my hands on him.")

Suddenly Luna came walking into the dinner hall.

"Good morning everyone." She said in a quite happy mood as she took her seat and started to eat her oatmeal before noticing how the others looked at her with astonishment.

"What? Do I have anything in my face?" Luna looked wondering on the others.

"Well no, you rather misses something." Julia said smiling. "Like a few bruises for example."

"Well, I thought that it was time for a change. Things that I can't change in myself I must learn to accept." Luna said as she looked at her sisters with her ice blue eyes. "Much of it I have you two to thank for but also, well it kind of hard to explain without sounding crazy."

"What is it then then?" Raine said. "You know that you can talk with us whatever it is."

"I tell you if you promise not to dump me of in a crazy house or anything like that."

"We promise." Julia said."Now tell us."

"You know why I started to use the bangle from the first time right, before it became common knowledge that I am a sorceress."

"You mean the dreams right?" Raine said in a matter of fact tone. "You woke up nearly every night screaming when you were little."

"Yeah, and last night I had a very strange dream." Luna answered. "I dreamed about mom, wish is kind of strange because I never knew her."

"It might be the sorceress powers." Ellone said. "A part of the former owner of the powers will follow with the powers to the successor."

"Maybe, she also warned me for a coming evil. That a battle is coming and the powers will be the key to victory somehow."

Just then Laguna came walking in with a gray haired man whom they knew pretty well.

"Grandpa, what are you doing here?" Julia shouted in delight. "It is so great to see you."

"Hi girls." He said as he first looked at the two oldest who were nearly exact copies of his late daughter and then on his youngest granddaughter who instead was a copy of their father. ("They are still the same. The always cheerful Julia, the same serious and sometimes a bit fierce Raine and last but not least Luna who mostly don't say much, but always with a smile on her face and the beautiful voice of their grandmother.")

"I am sorry that i am not here in more pleasant affairs but we have gotten a new wicked sorceress to deal with." He said. "Your father sent me here to request some help from Esthar to deal with the sorceress. Her primary target would most likely to get rid of SeeD first."

"Then we must back to the Garden." Raine exclaimed. "We must help dad in this fight."

"Yeah, then we also have Chris and Tessa to." Julia said worried before turning towards her little sister. "If you want you can stay here where you are safe from your tormentors until dad have taken care of them"

"No, it is time for me to stop hiding." Luna said with her new found confidence. "In my dream mom said that I had to fight so I choose to fight then."

"Great to have you back little sis." Julia said with a wide smile nearly from ear to ear.

"Let us show them back home what you got." Raine followed even she with a big grin.

"Then let's go home." Luna said as they walked back to their rooms to pack and one hour later they took of in Ragnarok II.

Next chapter it will be more action in.


	4. Who Can Love A Witch?

Hi. I am going to introduce yet another character who actually will have some ties to the last chapter. Some may like him, some may hate him. It is all up to you.

Chapter 4: Who Can Love A Witch?

(Monday August 9th)

They had just landed and Squall met them out there on the landing ground.

"Hi, welcome home girls. But I thought that you at least would be gone a week at least." Squall said as Raine and Julia walked down the landing ramp.

"Well, we felt that we couldn't leave you with a new enemy at hand." Julia said.

"This is our home and we are going to protect it." Raine said.

"Is Luna still safely in Esthar?" Squall wondered worried. ("She was in no condition to fight when she left.")

"No, I am here." A voice was heard as his youngest daughter walked out with a determined look on her face. "I am tired of running, I am tired of hiding and sneaking around So I am not going to hide away anymore. I am going to fight to to protect my home to."

"Luna? Where is your bruises?" Squall asked as he looked at her.

" I heard from a quite reliable source that my powers might give us the upper hand in the coming battle, so I decided to use them to heal the bruises along with the ribs so I could fight to."

"Are you sure about this?" He continued asking a bit worried for his daughter's well being. "You know that both me and your sisters know what you can do, so you don't have to prove anything to us."

"I know. I must do this to prove it for myself." Luna said with the same determination. "To finally accepting the things I can't change I must do this."

"Then we are happy to have with us." Squall said proudly but you could also see his concern in his eyes. "Then at least let me offer you young ladies lunch up in the commander's office. There is some things that I just can't wait to hear."

"Sure thing." All three said in unison.

"Then see you in one hour then." Squall said before turning to his father, Ellone and his father in law. "Are you joining to when you are here already? "

"Why not." Laguna said. "Let us go and talk about how Balamb Garden and Esthar shall cooperate to face this treat."

"Then we have time to go and unpack then." Raine said. "Do you want company to your dorm Luna? Just in case you bump into _them _again."

"No thank, I think I will manage. After all I have this companion if needed." She answered as she gave her revolver gunblade a confident nod.

"Okay then, see you soon." Julia said (She have really gotten more confident.)

Just as normal she met some of the other students who just had to take the opportunity to mock her.

"I see you have come back little witch." One of them she knew as Amanda leered at her mockingly. "Do you really think that you have what it takes to protect anything? Weak as you are I doubt that you can fight at all."

"Do you doubt that I can kill an enemy? Is that what you are saying?" Luna said as she looked the female student straight in the eyes before she turned her back against the student to continue her way to her dorm.

"Oh no, we know that you are pretty capable to kill." Another girl by the name Tiffany said behind her back with her voice full of mockery. "After all you killed your own mother when you was born."

Luna stopped in her tracks and stood there clenching her fists as she fought to remain calm as she felt the rage rise in her body as each word sunk into her mind like led weights. ("I will not cry. I will not cry.")

"Yes, not even I have what it takes to kill my own mom. Robbing your sisters of their beloved mother and your father of the love of his life. " Tiffany continued as she walked closer until Luna could feel her breath against her ear as she finally whispered mockingly. "But what can you expect of a dirty little witch like you?"

Those last words triggered something in Luna's mind and fast as a lightning she turned around and punched the girl straight in the face in pure anger just like she had when she broke her mirror just two days ago. Tiffany fell to the floor with a surprised scream as her friends just looked at Luna with shocked expressions.

"Never ever speak to me like that again because if you do, I am going to show you how good I am at fighting" Luna hissed as her whole body was shaking of all the adrenalin that ran trough her veins. "And after I have shown you that you will beg out of pure mercy that I will demonstrate my skills in killing to. And that is not a treat, that is a promise."

"I am not going to take any crap anymore. Have I made myself clear?"

The chocked cadets just nodded as Luna walked away towards her dorm.

When she finally reached the door to her dorm she felt that she couldn't hold it no more and some tears made it down her cheek as the adrenalin rush started to ebbing out. ("It was hard to not start cry when they said those words. I had to fight with my whole being.")

("Dammit. Just when I started to accept one thing, they start to hit on my softest spot.")

Luna walked into her dorm taking with her three days of notes from the door and threw them in the bin without reading them. (" I wonder if dad or my sisters ever have thought about it that way. After all did she die when she tried to give birth to me.")

She wiped away some tears as she left her bag on her bed. ("But I am to afraid too ask them. Afraid that I might rip open old wounds. Dad and my sisters are the only ones I have and I don't want to do anything that will hurt them. It is enough that I had to destroy the picture Raine had of Ewan.")

("At least I protected mom's memory by standing up for myself for once when they tried to hurt me trough her. Not that I have any memories of her. After all, I never knew her.")

She turned on the water in the shower and then pulled out some new clothes from her dresser, even if they looked just like her normal style. ("I am not going to wear skirt as long as I am in this place... At least when it isn't necessary to be in uniform.")

(" Not that I hate skirts like Raine does. It is just that I want to minimize the weak points that they can use to hurt me.")

She undressed and stepped into the shower noticing some bloodstains on the floor from two days ago. ("These two last days have surely been quite an experience. Two breakdowns and a hell lot of bruises and smelly ketchup.")

(" I have at least gotten strong enough now to at least fight back so even if they don't like me, maybe they will leave me alone at least.")

She stepped out from the shower and dried herself with a towel before dressing herself and then heeded towards her father's office.

Meanwhile Raine and Julia walked around in the main hall after leaving their bags in their dorm when Raine suddenly crashed into a boy around fourteen.

"Oh I am so sorry. It was totally my fault." He said a bit distressed. "Do you know where the commander's office is? I am new here."

"Don't worry. You can follow us, we are on our way there to." Raine said with a smile. "I am Raine by the way, but most of my friends call me Wrench and this is my twin sister Julia. "

"Nice to meet you. We are waiting for our younger sister Luna." Julia said. ("What a nice guy.")

"My name is Keith and I have just transferred from Esthar Garden."

"Nice to meet you." Raine said.

Luna walked to them instantly noticing the new face and instinctively readied herself for any kind of defensive move she might need to take.

"Hi Luna. This is Keith from Esthar. Keith, this is our little sister Luna." Julia said smiling.

"N-nice to meet you." Keith said nervously as he saw her. ("Oh Hyne, she is so cute. I bet the boys boys fights over her. Especially with those beautiful blue eyes.")

"Nice to meet you to Keith." Luna said with a light red taint on her cheeks. ("He is quite cute, but I don't know if I can take the risk of start liking him. He might turn his back against me just like the rest already have done.")

"Did they let you be or was it the usual?" Raine wondered a bit worried.

"It is nothing to care about." Luna said as cheerful she could.

"What did they try this time?" Julia wondered.

"Nothing that isn't already taken care of." Luna answered with a hint to change the subject in her voice.

"Okay. Maybe you can tell us later" Julia said. "I bet dad and our grandpas are waiting for us, so maybe we should get going."

"Are you the commander's daughters?" Keith asked surprised.

"Yes." Julia answered. "Our dad is the commander, but please don't think that we get any benefits from it. We are very keen in separating our personal relationship from the professional. "

("Then I certainly don't stand a chance on Luna, even if she is pretty cute.") Keith thought as he followed the sisters to the elevator.

"Hello, you are right on time." Squall said as they arrived. "Who is your friend?"

"I am Keith Cornwall sir. I am newly transferred from Esthar Garden sir." He said as he gave the SeeD-salute.

"Glad to have you on board young man." Squall answered as he saluted back. "I will see to that you receive a cadet quarter as soon as possible and a guide. I think Chris and Tessa may be available. I will call them so wait for them down the elevator. You are dismissed."

"Yes sir." Keith said as he saluted before leaving.

"Okay then. Let's eat." Squall said to his daughters after Keith had left.

They seated and began to eat while they talked.

"Can you tell me how come that you Luna suddenly accepted your powers?" Squall asked curiously.

"Well, we first had to save some kids from being stomped down by a behemoth, wish made me reveal my powers yet again." Luna said. " After that we had to flee from a shower of rotten tomatoes."

"You know what the Estharians think of sorceresses after Adel's rule." Julia jumped in.

"That is outrageous that one of my granddaughters is getting treated like that." Fury yelled as he nearly slammed his fist in the table, but he succeeded in controlling himself.

"Well anyhow after that I had just another mental breakdown." Luna continued. "But I got out of the depression with the help of my sisters."

"Okay, but you have had depressions before without accepting the powers." Squall said. "What made this one different?"

"Please don't freak out now but, I also lost my bangle when we fled, and because I didn't have it I had a quite strange dream that I don't think really was a dream." Luna said.

"Does this have anything with that reliable source about your powers being the key?" Squall wondered a bit reluctant.

"Yeah...I met mom." Luna said. "She came to me in the dream and told me to fight."

"Why am I not surprised?" Squall said with a small smile. "Only Rinoa can be that stubborn to even defy death to protect her loved ones."

"That is my little girl. Always get her will trough, no matter what." Fury laughed.

They continued their Lunch while joking and laughing. After they had finished Laguna, Ellone and former General Caraway left in Ragnarok II while the sisters went out to the main hall.

"I am going to the library to see if I can find any books on sorceress magic, I mean if the powers are crucial then I better learn to handle them so I don't blow something up by mistake. "

"Yeah that would be a real shame" Raine said

"See you later." Luna said

"See you later" Julia and Raine called back as they parted but suddenly Julia saw something they thought as really amusing

"Wow, what have you done to Tiffany...and when?" Julia asked her twin sister as she noticed the Garden's self proclaimed beauty queen came walking with a pretty nice black eye. "It will take a lot of eye shadow to cover that one up."

"Hey, I haven't done anything. I haven't even met her today. " Raine protested with an innocent look on her face. "Why does everyone think it is my fault when people turns up with a black eye or such things."

"Because it is usually you who causes them when someone is picking on lil' sis." Julia said with a smirk. "Hey Tiffany. Have you been picking on Luna and gotten busted by Raine again?"

"No, it wasn't Raine." Tiffany spitted out. "It was that damn brat you have as a little sister. She punch pretty hard for being a worthless little witch."

"See, I told you that I was ino...WHAAAAT? What did you just say?"

"You mean Luna did this?" Julia said a bit shocked. "No that can't be right. She wouldn't even hurt a fly, except bitebugs and other monsters."

"Well that didn't stop her from hurting my beautiful face." Tiffany whined. "Oh and I have a date tonight and I look like I have been in a bar fight."

"I bet you deserved it." Raine said with a chuckle as they walked by, not caring for the glares that Tiffany sent after them.

"Hi, Wrench, hi Julia. You won't believe what the latest gossip is." Tessa yelled happily as she walked to them with Chris and Keith in tow.

"Is it that Luna kicked Tiffany's bony little behind, we just heard it from Tiffany' herself." Julia said

"So where is the little fighter then?" Chris wondered. "I must congratulate her for the first class punch she must have given Tiffany."

"She said that she would pay a visit to the library." Raine said. "She wanted to borrow some books about sorceresses abilities."

"What?" Chris said quite surprised. "I thought she hated everything connected to those things."

"Well, she has finally gotten over it and started accepting the fact and is preparing herself for battle." Raine said.

"Wish is good because we are going to need her to win. The new sorceress on the rampage has already begun taking control of her own army according to grandpa Fury." Julia pointed out. "We still don't know where the sorceress hides though. Luna's abilities might be the key."

"It is quite a burden laid on her shoulders right now with the coming battle. I just wished she had someone more on her side supporting her." Raine said as she let her eyes wander from person to person.

"I would like to become one of her friends if it is okay with you." Keith said

"I think Luna would be very happy for that." Julia said. "She doesn't have so many here so I think she would be happy for it."

"But you better not to betray and abandon her when she need someone. She has already been betrayed before." Raine said.

"You can count on me. I won't hurt her feelings" Keith assured as he walked away towards the library.

"I hope that he can stand by his words, even after he get to know her secret. He seems to be a real nice guy and Luna deserves all friends she can get." Raine said.

In the library Luna had found quite many books about sorceresses and sorceress magic, so when she carried them she could barely see anything and when she started to move towards the counter she didn't notice the leg someone stuck out and tripped her. She fell like a log and landed flat on her stomach once again with a thud and spreading the books all over the floor.

("Ouch, that hurt.") Luna thought as she landed.

"No nice view this time though." The boy who had tripped her said with a grin.

"You, get out from here now." Amie Dincht yelled as she pointed towards the one who had tripped her. "You are banned from here for a whole month. I won't tolerate anything like that as long as I am the head of the library. Zell darling, can you show this young man the way to the disciplinary committee while I help Luna pick up the books."

"Sure babe. Come here punk. That's no way to treat a lady."

"Hey. I am going to complain to instructor Trepe Almasy." The student whined.

"You do that and tell her why you got banned to and I am sure she will give you a very nice extra lesson in how she handles a whip like Save The Queen, if you survive her husband's Hyperion." Amie said as Zell pushed the cadet out from the library.

Amie then bent down to help Luna to collect the books. "Are you okay Luna? It was a pretty nasty fall."

"I am beginning to get used to it now." Luna answered with her usual smile while she collected the books.

"Do you need a helping hand carrying those books back to your dorm?" She heard and saw Keith kneeling down to help.

"That would be very kind of you." Luna answered with a warm smile on her face. ("Wow, that is something that I am not used to. The new guy offering me help.")

They collected the books and walked away from the library on their way to the dormitory area, ignoring the glares that the others gave them. They soon reached the the door to Luna's dorm where someone under the day had left a bag with the smelly chocolate as Luna usually called it.

"Oh man, not again." Luna scowled as she drew the card in the reader and the door opened. "Excuse for the others weird gifts they usually leave outside my door, now when they can't get into my dorm and do anything."

"But isn't this a SeeD dorm?" Keith said a bit confused. "I thought that all cadets shared dorm with another cadet."

"Well, usually it is that way." Luna said as they walked in. "This is just an exception that my sisters requested when they became SeeD around two weeks ago so I would have at least one sanctuary. They even saw to that I had my own bathroom because some of the other cadets once switched my shampoo to hair dye. My hair was puke green for a whole month. In exchange they still have their old cadet dorm. Thanks for helping me with the books, but I think you should avoid being seen with me if you don't want to become an outcast like me."

"I don't care. I really enjoy your companionship and want to become your friend if you want."

"I would like that very much.." Luna said with a smile. ("Finally a friend around my own age. I know he might turn me his back when he gets to know. But right now with everything that is happening, it would be nice to have someone close who isn't a relative for once.")

"I have some registration blankets to fill in, but what do you say about us taking a trip trough the training center and then maybe we can go to the cafeteria later?" Keith asked.

"Um, are you asking me out?" Luna wondered with a shy smile and some red taints on her cheeks

"Well, you could call it that." He answered shyly. "So do you accept?"

"Well, why not? You seem to be a real nice guy after all." Luna said.

"Then I pick you up here in about three o'clock then."

"You do that." Luna said as he left and walked away. ("Wow, this is the closest thing to a date I have ever been asked to. He seems to be a real sweet guy. At least we hopefully can become friends for a while.")

She sat down by her desk and started to read the books from the library. ("I know this is foolish thinking but maybe he even will accept me being a sorceress if he gets to know me as a person first.")

She continued to read and after an hour she heard it knocking on her door. She opened the door and saw Keith standing there.

"Are you ready?" He said as he stood there in the doorway with a smile.

"Yeah I am ready. Lets go." She said as she grabbed her gunblade and then they walked to the training center. They found a lot of grats they fought of with ease.

"You are pretty good with that gunblade." Keith said impressed.

"Thanks, I usually either study or train in here when I don't have lessons. You are pretty good yourself by the way with that sword."

"What do you do for fun then?" Keith wondered as they took a rest and sat down by the small pond. "You must at least do anything other than just training and studying."

"I sing, play violin and then I dance and doing gymnastic classes. The dancing and gymnastic I have incorporated with my fighting style. That is why I am not using the basic moves all the time for gunblades. " Luna answered as she first looked down in the water and then up at Keith. "I love music and always have. I also read a lot of books by the way. Raine used to call me bookworm when we was younger."

"Why are the others so mean towards you? I mean, you seem to be the kind of person that would be impossible to hate."

"I...rater don't want to talk about it right now." Luna said. ("I just don't want to scare you away yet.")

"Okay, I will wait until you feel you are ready to tell." Kieth said with a caring voice and Luna answered with a thankful nod.

They continued their path trough the training center and began to walk to the cafeteria, but on their way there they heard some whispering from the entrance to the training center and suddenly a bitebug came flying towards them rapidly and out of sheer reaction Luna raised her hands and blasted it to dust with a fireball. Then they heard some giggles from the ones who had released it.

"Wow, how did you do that? I didn't know that you even had junctioned a GF." Keith asked amazed as he looked at her but soon noticed the tears coming from her eyes.

"I...I am so sorry. This whole idea was just a big mistake." Luna said shaking her head before storming out from the training center with tears in her eyes leaving a confused Keith standing there.

("How could I be so damn stupid to even think that I could have a relationship without this damn sorceress part screwing it all up?") She thought as she ran towards her dorm with tears streaming from her eyes. (" He is probably hating me right now to, not just because I am what I am but also that I kept it secret from him. And who want a girl who have killed her own mother anyway?")

Raine and Julia who was on their way out to the main hall saw Luna running past them crying.

"Luna, what has happened ?" Julia yelled after her worried. ("Hope Keith is not responsible.")

"I am going to flay that boy alive if he has broken his word and her heart." Raine said furiously.

"Have you seen Luna?" A distressed Keith asked as he to came running. "She just stormed out from the training center crying, and I don't know where she went."

"What have you done?" Raine said with a hint of fury in her voice as she tried to control herself.

"I haven't done anything, I promise." He said confused and a bit scared. "We were on our way to the cafeteria after we had been in the training center. Some students released a bitebug towards us and she blasted it to dusts...And then she said she was sorry and just stormed out from the training center crying...I have no idea what even happened."

"Oh my...I bet she wanted to tell you this herself later instead of letting you know it this way." Julia said as she rubbed her hand against her forehead.

"What? What is it that she kept secret?"

"She is a sorceress." Raine said. "That is why she is treated like shit around here.

"Anyhow she reveled her powers two years ago and almost lost every friend she had in just one day." Julia said." I wish people would treat Luna as the hero she actually is. After all she saved Raine's life back then and she saved two kids just a few days ago from being stomped to the ground."

"She did what?" Keith said thoughtfully."Can it be... her that?"

"What do you mean?" Julia wondered as she and Raine looked at him a bit confused.

"Um, nothing. I must go and get something from my dorm. See you later...hopefully." He said as he left the confused sisters.

Luna lie on her bed with red eyes of all the tears as she once again clenched her old teddybear in her arms, one of her few securities and comforts. (" I am probably doomed to live the rest of my life alone. I am just a fool to even think otherwise.")

Suddenly she heard a knock on her door followed by Keith's voice. "Luna, are you there? I must talk with you, so open up please."

("He deserves an explanation about why I kept it secret.") She thought as she wiped away some of the tears and put away the bear before walking to open the door.

"Hi Angeleye, may I come in?" Keith asked as she opened the door.

"Yeah sure." Luna said as she let him in. ("That was weird. He called me Angeleye instead of witch like the rest do.")

"Your sisters told me that you are a sorceress." Keith said. "That is why you are an outcast. It became common knowledge when you healed your sister."

"The reason why I didn't tell you what I was because I was really glad to finally have a friend and didn't want to scare you away and get abandoned again." Luna said as she fought to hold a straight face. "So I guess you are here to say good bye then."

"Actually that is not why I am here." Keith said as he noticed the surprise in Luna's face. "I am here to sort one thing out. You have been to Esthar pretty recently, right?"

"Well yes, my grandpa is your president. Why do you ask?"

"Do you recognize this?" Keith said as he pulled something out from his jacket and held in front of her with a crooked smile.

"That...that is the record I lost when we fled the other day." Luna said pretty chocked. "Right after we saved...those kids."

"Those two kids you saved are my siblings." Keith said. "It is not the same record you bought because some idiot accidentally stepped on it. My grandpa had a signed copy because he met her on her last concert before the accident. He wanted the girls who saved his grandchildren to have it as a replacement for the one that got destroyed and he guessed they were SeeD because of their fighting skills."

"It isn't too common that people our age listen to that kind of music, I mean it is very beautiful music but many youths think it is out of date." He continued.

"Yeah I know, she was my grandma of what I have heard. She is the one I have inherited the love for music. My grandpa always tells me that I sound very much like her while Julia and Raine got her look."

"I think you are very cute." Keith said still smiling.

"Thank you for not pushing me away like everybody else have done and that you accepting me for the one I am." Luna said as she smiled back.

"You are welcome. I guess then that I might ask you to join me for dinner then?" Keith said as he bowed.

"I would love to join you for dinner."

The two cadets left her room and walked towards the cafeteria, but on their way they got stopped by a group of two male and two female cadets who blocked the way and Luna felt her guts freeze at the sight of her sister's former boyfriend, as the whole abuse replayed in her mind. She backed a bit so she stood behind Keith as her hand moved towards the grip on her gunblade.

"I see those bruises I gave you earlier seems to have healed." Ewan said before turning to Keith. "Do you know that your girlfriend is a dirty little witch?"

"No, that is something I didn't knew." Keith said placing himself between Luna and the gang. "Of what I know she is just a real nice girl who happens to have some abilities we others don't. Must that be a bad thing?"

"Well, it is your choice. Just don't come to me crying when she turns you into a toad" Ewan said before walking past them with his gang.

"We had a real nice time last we met, don't you think? We must do that again sometime soon." He whispered in Luna's ear as he walked by her. She closed her eyes and felt how her grip around her gunblade tighten.

"What an asshole." Keith said as he saw Ewan leave, but then looked at Luna who still stood with terrified eyes. "Luna, are you alright? Oh Hyne you are shaking."

"Y-yeah I am okay. It is nothing." She answered as she went out of her defensive mode and the grip around her gunblade's handle released. ("This guy really cares for me.")

"What did he mean when he talked about some bruises? What has happened?"

"It is in the past now and I am starting to feel a lot better." Luna said as she began to feel a lot more comfortable. "Thank you for standing up for me. Not many others would have done that more than my sisters and just a few friends."

"Yeah, they seem to care a great deal about you to." Keith said as he looked at her. "Anyhow, maybe we should get going to the cafeteria."

"Yeah, better hurry before the good stuff runs out."

Julia and Raine walked towards the cafeteria to together with Tessa and Chris.

"Where is Luna?" Tessa wondered

"We don't know. Last time we saw her she came running crying." Julia said a bit worried..

"She accidentally revealed her powers to Keith. " Raine said equally worried

"Oh no, how did he take it?" Chris said. warily

"He took it pretty well I think." Julia said. "Hopefully the two of them can work it out"

When they came into the cafeteria they nearly couldn't believe what they saw.

"Is she...laughing?" Raine said amazed.

"Yes she is." Chris affirmed smiling.

"Together with another cadet?" Julia said equally amazed.

"Seems like it." Tessa smiled. "Aw, they look so cute together."

The sight they saw was Luna sitting by a table together with Keith while laughing and joking.

"I knew he didn't mean to hurt her." Julia said with happiness. ("Finally something good happens to her.")

"It feels good to see her happy for once." Raine said relieved.

The twins and their two friends ordered their food and took another table to leave the newly found couple alone but still could keep a watching eye over them, just in case someone got the idea to interrupt their happiness.

"By the way, have any of you seen Ewan?" Raine asked.

"No, he have been quite absent today. But he have asked us if we have heard anything from you these days you have been gone." Tessa Said. "He sounded like he actually cared. Are you going to search him up?"

"Yes, I am." Raine said. "And when I find him, I am going to first neuter him with my bare hands and then flay him alive before I kill him."

"Why?" Tessa wondered. "I know he is a total jackass but you have never wanted to kill him before."

"He is responsible for beating up Luna." Julia said with a frown.

"I thought that she didn't see who the abusers were." Chris said a bit confused.

"She recognized him, but didn't want to hurt me because she knew that I still had feelings for him. She even had bad conscience for being the reason to our break up." Raine said. "What he did towards her is totally unforgivable. He used my feelings for him to hurt her and for that he is going to pay."

"Anyhow. How was your stay in Esthar then?" Tessa wondered. "Did you have a good time there?"

"Well, we went to a mall together with aunt Ellone and I bought myself a new skirt for the Garden Festival next week. You should have seen the beautiful dress we found for Wrench." Julia said with a laugh as she noticed the look from her sister wish could kill. "Aw, you looked just so cute in it."

"Did you buy it?" Chris asked enthusiastically.

"Hell no." Raine exclaimed loudly. "Never that I buy a dress."

"Did Luna buy anything then?" Tessa wondered

"Yes, she bought a new white T-shirt because the one she had during the beatings got ruined." Julia said.

"And then finally she found a copy of grandma's record Eyes On Me after all these years she have been searching." Julia continued but then her eyes sank to the table. "To bad she lost it when we had to flee, because the crowd saw that she was a sorceress when we tried to save two kids."

"They even threw rotten fruit at her." Raine frowned sadly.

"Oh shit." Chris said. "How did Luna handle that?"

"She broke down completely." Julia answered.. "We almost worried that she would never recover."

"But she must have recovered some." Chris said. "I mean, before she would just smile and walk away. This time she fought back at Tiffany."

"I wonder what she did to bring that reaction out from Luna?" Tessa wondered. "She must have done something very bad because Luna isn't the one that hits people without a reason."

"It is at least a good sign that she is fighting back." Raine said

Luna took another bite of her pizza slice as she looked at the boy who just an half an hour earlier had defended her against the one who had beat her up.

"I really enjoy your company." Keith said as he looked back.

"It is the first time in a year I have another friend that is my own age." Luna said with a faint smile.

"You don't have to worry. I will never betray you." Keith answered with a similar smile.

When they had finished their dinner, Keith followed her to her dorm.

"Thanks Keith, I had a wonderful evening." Luna said with a bright smile. "I haven't had this fun in years."

"You sure have a beautiful smile It matches your beautiful blue eyes perfectly along with your personality." He said gently while Luna's cheek blushed at the compliment.

"That is the sweetest thing someone have said to me in a long time." Luna answered still smiling.

"Excuse if I ask, but how was your life before you revealed your powers?" Keith asked

"I was pretty popular among my friends because I always offered a helping hand and took time listening to others problems." Luna said as she thought back on the time that had passed. "There were even a few boys who fought for my attention."

"What happened then?" Keith wondered.

"Two years ago Raine was really sick in leukemia. The doctors had given up all hope to save her. Dad was devastated and Julia just cried in grief of losing one of her sisters." She answered sadly. "I just didn't want to believe that one of my dear sisters would die."

"Every time I visited her I tried to convince both myself and her that she would be okay, but she just got worse by each day that went by and I had to see the truth that she was dying. I cried and told her that she couldn't die, that we needed her." Luna continued with some stray tears from her eyes rolling down her cheeks. "In the end I saw no other choice than to use my powers to heal her. She tried to stop me, telling me that the others would shun me. But I didn't care, I just wanted to save her."

"After that all my friends just disappeared and instead I became the most hated cadet in the whole Garden. My last friend betrayed me a year ago and by that pulling of a real cruel joke. We had been best friends ever since kinder garden, but not even she wanted anything with me to do anymore."

"I have had some problems trusting people other than my sisters due out of fear of getting betrayed again. But I have never regretted that I saved Raine's life, because I would never forgive myself letting someone close to me die if I can stop it. It is enough that mom died when she gave birth to me."

"You seem to have had a rough life." Keith said. "How come that you trust me?"

"You earned my trust when you stood up for me against that guy." She said with a soft smile. "I guess it is getting late and we have some assignments that shall be done until tomorrow."

"Yeah, we should call it night then. See you tomorrow Angeleye." Keith said.

"See you tomorrow Keith." She answered with a small smile.

Luna continued to study as she thought about her knew friend before she went to bed.

("For the first time I actually looking forward till tomorrow.") She thought before she went to sleep but her night didn't go by undisturbed.

I know I promised action in this chapter, but I got some inspiration to write some more chapters so the events that was planned here is moved to a later chapter but it is coming so stay calm. Reviews are very welcome.


	5. Friends Forever

Hi, This chapter is going to be a bit angst and I have changed the rating because it will be some dark parts in it. This chapter starts with a dream and will be about forgiveness. The doctor that is mentioned here is Dr Kadowaki's niece.

Chapter 5: Friends Forever

(Tuesday August 10th)

Dream

Luna was back in the flower field again where she had met the apparition of her dead mother.

"Hello? Anyone there?" She yelled as the fog around her continued to circle around the area.

"The battle is coming closer Luna." She heard her mother's voice say as her shape moved around in the fog and came closer. "It will be a hard time for you, but let these situations strengthen you instead of making you doubt on yourself."

"What do you mean? What is going to happen?" Luna asked distressed.

"I can't say much more. Have faith in yourself, your sisters and everyone else close to you."

"I...I will try. " Luna said as she hesitated a bit. ("That will be a very short list then.")

"You will have use of an old friend to." The ghostly figure of Rinoa said as she once again disappeared into the fog. "I will be by your side watching over you and your sisters."

Reality

"MOM." Luna woke up, even this time with a scream. ("What did she mean this time? I just wished I had some kind of manual to go by so I could prepare a bit more. I wonder what she meant by an old friend.")

She dressed herself in her uniform because she had some lessons today and then walked towards the door. She unlike the most other girls in the Garden didn't bother to put on any make up because she thought that the lesser attention she got the better, even according to most of the people that didn't knew her secret she didn't need any either.

"Good morning Angeleye." Keith said as she came out. "Slept well?"

"Like a log." She answered with a smile, even if she knew that it was a lie. "Are you waiting for me?"

"Yeah, and I hope you didn't mind that I cleaned away those notes for you. Some of them were really mean" He said with a frown.

"Not at all, I barely reads them anymore so I don't know why they even bother." Luna said. "Let's go grab some breakfast."

They ordered their breakfast and sat down by a table and talked while they ate. But when they had nearly finished eating, Luna looked down on her watch and cursed. "Damn, I am getting late."

"What do you mean? We have plenty of time." Keith asked confused.

"You will see what I mean."

They finished the breakfast and moved on to the second floor and before entering the classroom, Luna took a deep breath as she readied herself.

"You should probably stay back a bit. I don't want you to be caught in the line of fire."Luna said as she entered the classroom and immediately got hit by countless projectiles of paper the others threw at her while they shouted insults. Keith just felt anger as he once again saw how she got treated. He walked past the projectiles and did his best to shelter her while bringing her to an empty seat in the back.

"That is why usually I try to come here before the others do." Luna said.

"But it is just terrible that you even have to think about it." Keith said a bit furious.

"Don't worry. I have gotten used to it. After all I have gone trough this nearly every day for two years now. " Luna said with a sad smile. "But thanks that you care. It makes it much easier to handle"

"Good morning class." Quistis said as she walked in.

"Before we start today's lesson in sorceress history I would like to welcome our new cadet Keith Cornwall." Quistis continued. ("I would rather skip this lesson for Luna's sake but I have no choice according to the study plan.")

"Now, the first question. Who can give me the names of the sorceresses that were active during the first and second sorceress war?"

Among the cadets just one hand furthest back rose up.

"Yes Luna?"

"The name of the sorceress that started the first sorceress war was Adel who abducted little girls to find a successor but got deceived and was confined in space by a machine and peace was restored. Seventeen years later a sorceress by the name Edea Kramer got controlled by sorceress Ultimecia from the future and started the second war and declared war against SeeD."

Luna took a little pause to gather strength for the coming parts, because it concerned her on a very personal plane. But she felt her courage rise as Keith gave her a supporting nod.

" During a fight she lost her powers of an unknown reason and passed them on to a seventeen year old girl by the name Rinoa Heartily. She under the influence of sorceress Ultimecia released Adel from her tomb. Both Ultimecia and Adel got defeated and peace was yet again restored."

"That is right." Quistis said as she looked over the class. "At least somebody seem to have studied."

"Where did that Rinoa chick disappear then?" One of the cadets asked.

"Where do you think? She changed her last name after she married the commander and had three kids." A girl with way to much make up and a black eye said leering at Luna. "And then she got killed by her youngest daughter who also took her powers. And who could that be do you think?"

"Just shut up." Keith said sternly to Tiffany. "Why are you so damn mean?"

"What? I am just telling the truth." Tiffany said innocent.

("This time she went way to far, but I can't hit her in front of the whole class. Not in front of Quistis.") Luna thought as she struggled to hold a straight face but she calmed down a bit as she felt Keith lying his hand on her shoulder to support her. ("Good to know that I have you on my side at least.")

"That is enough Tiffany." Quistis said sternly. "For that you get detention."

"But instructor." Tiffany whined. "That little witch hit me yesterday. Look at my eye."

"There is no use in complaining." Quistis said. "It is your own fault. One more word from you and I will see to that you get latrine duty for a week. I am after all married to the chief of the disciplinary committee"

"Damn witch." Tiffany could be heard muttering as she threw a hateful glare towards Luna.

"Hope you have gloves Tiffany. Because the toilets can be really disgusting. As I said, one more word and you just said two," Quistis said with a smirk at the girl's disgusted face. "Anyone who says anything similar will be accompanying Tiffany to clean the toilets. And it doesn't matter if you are a trepie either."

The rest of the lesson passed without any further problems. After it the cadets walked towards the elevator and cramped into it.

"Keith, can't we wait until the most of the others have gone before we take the elevator?" Luna asked before they had left the classroom. "They seem to have found some strange amusement in tripping me just when I walk out from the elevator and I don't want that as long as I am wearing uniform. The skirt seems to have an ability to fly up when it happens and showing some parts I prefer to keep private. Not that I wear something kinky or anything. But still..."

"That is okay, I understand what you are saying.. That girl was really rude." Keith answered softly. "I understands why you punched her. How bad did she hurt you?"

"I will be okay...I think." Luna said a bit awkward. ("Tiffany has certainly found my Achilles heel to pound on, and now everyone knows it. But it is in a way true. If it hadn't been for me she would still be here.")

"Luna, may I talk to you?" Quistis asked.("Hm, this new boy seems to care about her pretty much.")

"Yeah sure."

"I will wait outside for you." Keith said as he moved towards the exit after receiving a thankful nod from both Luna and Quistis.

"I am sorry that I put you in that position, but I must follow the study plan." Quistis said apologizing.

"Don't worry, I understand." Luna said tiredly as she stroke away a stray tear. "I just wished they could leave mom alone. By using her they just don't hurt me but my whole family."

"Yes, I understands how you feel. Me and your mother were really close friends. It pains me that she is being used to hurt one of her daughters." Quistis said. "At least you have your family on your side along with Chris and Tessa including their parents and me. Then I think you have found another friend to."

"Yeah, Keith have been terrific. He doesn't even care that I am a sorceress. He likes me for me."

"I am glad to hear." Quistis said with a faint smile. "You may go now, I just wanted to check that you was okay. I am going to have some talk with your father about what happened. Hopefully he might find a way to stop it"

"Okay, bye for now. " Luna said as she walked out to Keith who waited in the corridor.

"I think most of the others have gone now so shall we go and take a lunch?" Keith asked

"Yeah sounds great."Luna said a bit more cheery as they took the elevator down to the main hall, but the thought still lingered in the back of her head. ("What if I hadn't been born? Would mom still be alive then?")

Meanwhile Squall received a call on the bridge.

"Yes, we will see to that."

"We talk about the fee later. Right now it is more important to save lives."

"We are on our way."

Squall lay down the telephone and drew a deep sight. ("Damn, it seems like we are going to face this sorceress sooner than I thought.")

"Nida, our new destination is Dollet. They have been under attack and needs our help with establishing a refugee camp. Xu, you will take care of the distribution of the emergency supplies and you Quistis will instruct the cadets. We must inform Selphie to make room among the youngest children for new orphans and children who's parents are injured. Zell will have the main responsibility over the maintenance team and Amie will help Selphie with the children. Seifer and Irvine will have the main responsibility over the field hospitals along with Dr Kadowaki."

Before you go Quistis, may I speak to you about something?" He said as he turned towards his childhood friend.

"Yes, of course Squall. I think I know what concerns you." She said. "It is Luna, right?"

"Yeah. I worry that she is going to get to do all the dirty work. But I can't give her any special treatment and she doesn't want any either. Then we have still not found the ones that beat her up. What if she gets put into the same team as them?"

"Actually I had the idea of making her the squad leader because of her high scores and I also placing our newest cadet Keith Cornwall into the same team, because she seem to feel comfortable in his company. I bet he will protect her. He defended her today when they tried to hurt her trough what happened to Rinoa."

"Thank you Quistis. Now at least I have two things lesser on my mind." He said relieved. ("I hope this is not going to change Luna's situation to the worse, that they will blame her for something another sorceress did. To bad they have started to use Rinoa against her now.")

"Well, it is she who shall have all the credit for studying." Quistis said with a smirk as she left. "If she just gained some more confidence she would become a great leader, but I guess that is in her genes."

"Yeah maybe." Squall said before taking up the microphone to announce the situation to the SeeD and the cadets.

The three sisters along with their friends sat and enjoyed their lunch in the cafeteria when the announcement came over the intercom system.

"This is Commander Leonhart who is speaking. We have gotten an urgent request from Dollet wish has been under attack to aid them in setting up a refugee camp and to help with the rescue work. All SeeD will report to their group of profession while all cadets above the age of thirteen will met in the main hall for further instructions. For easier identification uniform is obligated. We arrive about sixteen hundred so be ready."

"What is it Luna? You seem troubled" Julia said as she noticed her sister's troubled expression.

"May lives in Dollet. I hope she and her family are okay."

"You do remember what she did to you right?" Raine said. "Thanks to her everybody knows exactly what undergarments you use."

"Yeah I remember what she did, and she paid dearly by getting expelled despite my pledges to dad to spare her." Luna said. "I know she betrayed me and it hurt me deeply, but we have been friends since we were five. I still care for her because seven years of friendship isn't just something I can throw away like that despite what she did."

"You still have that forgiving touch I hear." Julia said. "I am glad that these two years of abuse haven't changed that."

"The thing is that I understands her. It isn't easy to be friend with someone everyone else shuns, and by being that getting shunned to." Luna said. "I am actually quite impressed that she managed a whole year."

"I think we better go and change. It is almost time." Tessa said as she and Chris rose up.

"Yeah, I will then go to the infirmary together with the rest in the medical team." Julia said. "We shall try to establish a field hospital."

"And I will join the maintenance team in the parking lot." Raine said. "We must get the backup generators online, or else it will be very short of power in the camp."

"Instructor Trepe Almasy is waiting in the main hall, so we to better be going." Keith said.

They walked to their stations to receive their duties.

"Luna Leonhart, you will be assigned as the leader to search squad B and your duty is to search for survivors in the ruins."

"Y-yes instructor Trepe Almasy." Luna answered a bit unsure. ("Why me? Why does she think that anyone of the other cadets will listen to my orders?")

"Kim McGee and Carl Terrance will be your teammates." Quistis said. "You will join them to Keith."

"Hey, why the hell are you placing the witch in charge?" Kim protested.

"It is because the instructor and her dad are friends I bet." Carl said with a smirk.

"No. It is because she has the highest test scores among you and is the only one of you who is ready to take the SeeD exam next year. She could have taken it this year already if it hadn't been for the age limit of fifteen." Quistis said irritated. "Try to study and train more and you will see what I mean. And by the way, you should show some manners towards your leader or I will lower your scores even more for disobedience. Is that understood?"

"Yes Instructor." Kim and Carl answered in a dull voice.

"I can't hear you." Quistis said in an irritated voice.

"Yes instructor." They all said with a salute.

When they arrived to the Dollet Dukedom everyone with assigned tasks begun to work.

"Oh Hyne, what a devastation." Luna exclaimed as she saw how badly damaged some of the houses were. ("This is going to be tough.")

"So what are your orders leader?" Kim said in a sarcastic voice as they assembled

"I know that you aren't too happy to be in the same team as me and especially not having me as your leader, so I guess it would be better for all of us if we split up into two smaller teams and holding radio contact if anything happens. Keith and I take the western part of the area around the square and you two take the eastern parts around the pub. We met here at the harbor again in three hours from now."

"Exactly my thoughts" Kim said with a mocking attitude. "Oh, by the way, my brother wonder how your ribs are feeling."

"You can tell him they are just fine. So shall we accomplish our mission or just stand here talking?" Luna answered with a irritated frown as she laid as much weight as she could behind the words. "Even if you don't like me, you can at least try to act a little bit professional."

"On our way leader." Carl who had been quiet for a while said mockingly as he and Kim walked away towards the eastern parts whispering. "Who does that little witch think she is?"

"What the hell were they thinking by placing me in charge when they know my relationship with the other cadets aren't that good?" Luna said tiredly as she shook her head while the tension in the air eased.

"As the instructor said, you are the one that has the highest scores." Keith said supporting. "And maybe she is trying to help you to toughen up and boost your self confidence up a bit by making you boss them around. You did great, telling them of"

"Yeah, at least I showed that I am not afraid of them." Luna answered as they walked towards the part of town where the square lie. ("I hope May is okay.")

But suddenly she just stopped as she saw the destruction. Buildings stood in ruins and from some of them it still came smoke from. In the middle of the square they saw a body that looked awful familiar to Luna among five other bodies.

"Oh no, it can't be..." She said as she ran to the body and knelled down to for check vital signs, only to see that they were to late . "She is already dead. She has been shot six times in the back and once in the head by a machine gun. No one survives that."

"DAMMIT." She screamed out in rage as she slammed her fist into the ground while holding back the tears.

"Who was she?" Keith asked comforting as he came up to her.

"Her name was Meyrin Lindsay...May's little sister. She was two years younger than us. I met her a couple of times during the sleepovers I did at her home during the breaks when we were still friends." Luna said sadly. Then she heard something. "Did you hear that to Keith?"

"Yeah, sound like someone is crying." Keith answered. "It comes from over there."

Under some of the bodies they found a girl who had a gunshot wound in her knee.

"Help her to the field hospital. We may find more injured so I will stand behind to see if I can find more survivors." Luna said in an all business tone as she put on some bandage over the bullet wound. ("May, where are you?")

"I will see to that." Keith said as he lifted up the girl in his arms. "I will be back soon."

When Keith had left with the girl Luna kept looking after survivors in the direction of the communication tower. When she where nearly by the ruins that once was the tower she heard someone shouting in relief from behind.

"Luna, thanks Hyne you are here." A girl shouted as she came running towards her.

"May, there you are. I have been so worried" Luna said relieved, but then noticed something on the ground. "MAY, WATCH OUT."

But she was to late. May sat down her foot right on an explosive discharge and the explosion threw fragments around and Luna felt something strike her face hard followed by her right arm and leg, cutting trough the fabric of the uniform and into the skin and flesh as she got thrown to the ground by the chock wave, sending her radio flying.

"May...May are you alright?" Luna asked a bit groggy after the blast as she struggled herself up on her knees. She felt a throbbing pain at her forehead as something wet trailed down She looked around and saw her friend lying on the ground. "May, oh Hyne please don't be dead."

"Luna, I...I can't feel my legs." May said weakly as Luna bowed down over her and saw that her friend both legs had been ripped of in the explosion right by the knee. "Your...your face..."

"Don't worry about that." Luna said. "I shall try to get help here."

She limped to the place her radio had landed, only to see that it had probably been trashed when it hit the ground..

"Dammit, the radio is busted." Luna cursed as she took her friend in her arms to support her and make it more comfortable for her while she tried to heal her. "May, who did this?."

"The sorceress army of defected soldiers from both Galbadia and Esthar who calls themselves forbiddens to cause fear and confusion. They attacked with tanks and machine guns. We tried to fend them of but, but." May answered with pained voice as the tears streamed down from her eyes of sorrow. "They...they shot Meyrin...in cold blood. She was just twelve years old and they shot her. I can still see the fear in her eyes just as they shot, the tears that she shed and I can hear her yelling my name in terror as she tried to run to me."

"I know, I found her body. Now lay still. " Luna said with sorrow in her heart as she grieved with her friend while she tried to stop the bleeding from what was left of her friend's legs with her first aid kit every SeeD and cadet had. "I am sorry but I can't heal your wounds as long as the fragments are there. I must get you to the field hospital."

"It is okay, I don't care if I live or die anymore. I have already lost everything that was important to me. My sister is dead and I have betrayed my best friend." May said tearful. "It was just too cruel what I did to you so I understand if you hate me."

"Listen to me May. I don't hate you." Luna said. "I even tried to pledge to dad not to expel you, but it was already to late. You had already gone away. I never really blamed you for what you did, because I could imagine what you had to go trough by being my friend when everybody else hated me. It must have been rough."

"I wasn't expelled. I was just too ashamed to meet you after what I did so I left the Garden. Please forgive me. The reason I did it was because they threatened to give me the same hell you had and I am not as strong as you are. I would been destroyed completely."

"I forgave you a long time ago. I still wear the friendship bracelet you made me and I have the one I made for you that you left to dad here with me. " Luna said as tears started to stream from her eyes to. "If you want, I would like us to become friends again. I really missed you."

"I have missed you to." May said with a hoarse voice as she smiled tiredly while Luna knitted the friendship bracelet back on May's wrist.

"Just hold on May. Just try to stay awake. I promise you that you won't die." Luna said comforting as tears still came from her eyes. ("Damn, she won't make it if we don't get to the base camp soon.")

She took her gunblade and cut down some smaller trees and made a stretcher by ripping shreds of her uniform jacket to tie them together with and then she lie her friend on to drag her back to the field hospital. She also ripped some parts of it to make some kind of bandage for her own wounds because all the supplies in the first aid kit had she already used on May's legs, or what was left of them.

It was a hard work and when she had reached the square Luna collapsed of exhaustion and took the opportunity to regain some strength as she sat beside the stretcher. "I...I must...just rest for some minutes."

"I...I know you do what you can to help me." May said. "Even if I don't make it, you shall know that I really appreciate that we are friends again."

"Yeah, me to." Luna answered with a small smile. "How have thing been for you since you left Garden?"

"Well, I have made some new friends and I have helped mom and dad watching after my siblings and run the store." May said. "How have things been for you? Still the same huh?"

"Pretty the same. I got beaten up pretty bad just a few days ago. Dad and Julia were really angry."

"How about Raine?" May asked. "With her temper I thought she would been pretty angry to."

"Raine wasn't angry, she was furious. Especially when she got to know Ewan was the one beating me up. But yesterday everything turned around."

"What happened?" May asked curious.

"I have met a boy. He is really sweet and accepts me for the one I am, even if he know that I am a sorceress." Luna said still smiling. "We are still just friends, but he is pretty cute and really sweet towards me. He even calls me Angeleye."

"I...I am really happy that you finally found someone.." May said smiling but her face was full of sweat and she had started to shiver.

"How are you feeling?" Luna asked worried

"L-Luna, I am just so cold, so...so tired."

"Just hang in there. It isn't far now, so just stay awake." Luna said comforting. "Do you remember the song we used to sing? You know, our friendship song?"

"Y-yeah, I r-remember it." May said with a smile. "P-please, can't we sing that again. Just like we used to do?"

"Yes, of course. We can sing it while we continue to the refuge camp " Luna said and they began to sing while Luna lifted up the stretcher again.

Lyrics

"Stars might fade and rivers dry"

"Days turns to nights and nights to days"

"Flowers wither and bloom again"

"But our friendship will last forever"

"Nothing will stop us, nothing will stand in our way "

"Even the darkest night will turn bright, as long as we are together"

End

Back in the refuge camp Julia had just finished to treat the bullet wound on the girls leg with the help from Keith due to the lack of medics.

"That was the last generator, now they are all up and running." Raine said as she came walking into the field hospital. "How are things here?"

"Quite chaotic. We have many injured to take care of so we could really need an extra hand here." Julia said. "Keith, have Luna found May yet?"

"No, not yet." Keith said with his head bowed."At least I haven't heard anything from her for quite long."

"That doesn't exactly rise the possibility of finding May alive." Raine said bitterly.

"Excuse me, but are you not Commander Leonhart's eldest daughters?" A woman around forty asked with a concerned expression followed by a man and two kids around ten and eight years old.

"That's us. What can we do for you ma'am?" Julia answered polite. ("She looks familiar somehow.")

"Have you seen my two eldest daughters?" She asked worried. "Me and my husband have been out of town for a couple of days along with our two youngest daughters while my oldest daughter was in charge here at home. She and your little sister knows each other pretty well. To bad she had to pull that prank on her like she did. She have regretted it every day since she came back home."

"Oh, you must be Mrs Lindsay." Julia answered."I am sorry, but I bet Luna is going to find them soon."

"I hope so." Mrs Lindsay said worried. "So many injured. I hope it wasn't too many casualties"

"Yeah, it has caused so much suffering. Just for an old communication tower." Raine said as she referred to the cacophony of moans and cries from the camp as well as the tower that had been reported destroyed.

But then something else was heard. A familiar voice that sung a beautiful but sad song.

"Even the darkest night...will turn bright... as long...as we are...together."

They saw Luna coming, dragging on a stretcher made from some smaller threes. She limped pretty bad and her uniform was in shreds. Her face was smoldered with blood from the injury on her forehead.

Just as she entered the camp she collapsed down on her knees sobbing. Every fiber in her body screamed out in pure pain and exhaustion in a way that she barely could keep the tears away .

"Luna, are you okay?" Julia said as she and Julia came running along with Keith and Mrs Lindsay.

"Oh Hyne, you are bleeding." Raine said as she noticed the bloody bandages made from her uniform as she knelled down.

"Have you seen my daughters?" Mrs Lindsay asked worried.

"Hur...hurry help her." Luna said with a cracked voice of exhaustion and despair as she looked up at the stretcher.

"Oh my little baby. Where is Meyrin?" May's mother asked as she saw her daughter's broken body.

"She... she is dead. Th...they shot her." May succeeded to say "I failed to protect her."

"Don't think about that now...Save your strength so you can get well." Her mother sobbed as she got supported by her husband while medics prepared to move her to a bed..

Luna supported by Kieth sat beside the improvised stretcher when May suddenly took her hand.

"Luna...whatever happens... even if I die...I am glad we became friends again...Thank you." May said before her eyes closed and her hand become limp.

"May...May wake up" Luna said shaking her friend as the panic started to come. "I promised you everything would be fine so please wake up."

"Hurry get her into surgery. Give her five milliliter adrenalin." Kadowaki said as they got her into the bed and rolled it away followed by May's parents.

"Let doctor Kadowaki take care of her now.." Julia said. "Meanwhile I think we would take the opportunity to treat those wounds before it gets infected. I think they needs to be sewn."

"Yeah, that would be nice. I am to tired to heal them on my own right now." Luna said tiredly. "Just let me go and inform Kim and Carl that they shall gather at the base camp first. It is almost time for us to meet up at the harbor."

"You can do that after I have sewn your wounds and you have rested a bit." Julia said as she and Raine helped her up. "You must be exhausted."

"Don't tell me that little bitch Kim is on your team." Raine exclaimed a bit annoyed. "She can be a real loudmouth. I would know after dating her good-for-nothing-soon-to-be-dead brother."

"Yes she is. And it is my duty as the team leader to see to that my team mates get necessary information as soon as possible." Luna said.

"You goes nowhere in that condition young lady. You can barely stand on your own and even lesser walk on your own" Julia said in a stern tone that didn't invite further objections. ("I am sorry that I have to order you like that, but you need to rest.")

"I will go and inform them if you want. After that job pulling that stretcher all the way here, I bet you deserve some rest, especially from idiots and jerks."Raine offered.

"That would be nice. Thank you." Luna said quite relieved.

"No worry lil' sis, I will see to that they get the information." Raine said as he walked away.

"Ouch." Luna hissed quietly at the stinging pain as she sat on a bed while Julia washed the wounds clean, getting assisted by Keith.

"I can imagine that it might hurt a little." Julia said with a smile. "It is a pretty nasty cuts you got after all."

They sew the wounds but just as the last stitch had been placed the doors to the surgery burst open.

"Julia, Doctor Kadowaki called for you. You are needed in the surgery." A medic yelled. "It is quite bad."

"Luna, I have to go but I promise to do all I can to save her." Julia said.

"I know you will." Luna said with a faint smile to her sister before she disappeared into the surgery..

Then Luna and Kieth sat there alone.

"It is her kind that is responsible for all this." They could hear two cadets whisper to each other while they looked hatefully at Luna.

She had been met with insults and mocking attitudes quite long now, but it was the first time for long she heard herself being mentioned with such hate and contempt.

("They...they say it just like it is my fault that this town was attacked. But why? I wasn't even here when it happened, I have never even hurt anyone with my powers.") The thoughts just poured into Luna's head as she fought to keep the tears and emotions under control.

"All sorceresses do is bringing destruction around themselves." The two cadets continued whispering

("Maybe they are right, that I just bring grief to those around me. My father, my sisters. Even May's parents and her youngest siblings. Even if she survives she will never walk again. They all are in grief because of me, because I am too damn weak to help anyone. )

"THAT'S ENOUGH." Keith yelled angry to the cadets. "Don't try to blame Luna for something another one did. She have had it rough enough for today without you accusing her when she is innocent. She haven't done anything else than to try to help people with her powers and you keep treating her like shit."

"Wow, I think the little witch has gained herself a bodyguard." One of the cadets said mocking before they left. "Just be careful so she doesn't turn you into a rat or anything."

"Jerks" Keith called after them before turning his attention to the girl whom he had befriended. ("How the hell can live with themselves? Treating a girl who just want to help others so bad.")

"Thank you Kieth." Luna said looking at him.

"Don't worry about it." He said. "I just do what I feel is right."

Just then the doors opened again and out came May's parents supported by doctor Kadowaki. Mrs Lindsey was crying while getting supported by her husband. And after them came Julia walking, still in her scrubs.. Luna could see her sister had tears in her eyes as she gave her a sad head shake.

"No." Luna whimpered as her sister closed in. "Please no. She can't be dead. I...I promised her...i promised her everything would be fine...I promised her."

"Luna...I am sorry...she didn't make it." Julia said as she sat down. "She went into chock and then organ after organ crashed."

"I failed...I broke my promise...They are right...They are all right." They could hear Luna say quietly with a teary voice.

"What are you trying to say Luna?" Julia said concerned.

"Think about it. Adel brought destruction and kidnapped small girls, Edea blew up Trabia Garden. Even mom destroyed Lunar Base and releasing Adel from her tomb under the influence by Ultimecia...And I...and I."

"And I...I killed mom. All that I seem to do is bringing pain and suffering." Luna finally unable to keep the control over her emotions any longer and finally burst out into tears while resting her forehead in her hands. "I killed mom, and I failed to save May and Meyrin. Maybe we are destined to just bring destruction and death after all."

"Luna, listen to me now. There are many women that die in childbirth and the complications that occurred was the result from an injury mom received during a battle more than a year before you was even born." Julia said soothing. "And you did all you could to help May. More than anyone could even ask."

"But it wasn't enough. I am too damn weak." Luna said sobbing. "I really tried but I couldn't save her. I am sorry May, but I couldn't keep my promise. I am sorry but I couldn't"

"Wait here. I will go and talk to Dr Kadowaki about that you may have the rest of the day of." Julia said comforting. "You are way to exhausted right now to do anything. You have given your all to help the people here so you really deserves some rest. You shall see that things will look different after you have gotten s some rest and received some new clothes."

Raine had just reached the harbor where the two youths stood.

"You two shall return to the base camp. Orders from your leader." Raine said firmly.

"Where is our dear leader then?" Carl asked. "Has the little witch succumbed to the pressure of being a leader."

"No, she is getting medical attention right now." Raine answered irritated.

"What have happened?" Kim asked sarcastic. "Did she get a wooden splinter in her ass from the broomstick?"

"Shut up Kim or I will beat some sense in that lump of meat between your shoulders." Raine snapped.

"You are just grumpy because you like my brother and he doesn't want you as long as you are with that little witch."

"First I am no longer interested in that jackass. Not after what he did to my sister. Second her name is Luna, make sure you never forget that. So now move your damn asses to the base camp or I will kick your butts so damn hard you will fly there." Raine said now red of anger. Carl and Kim didn't even dare to argue because they knew what Raine could do when she got angry, so they walked under absolute silence towards the base camp.

Luna had been relieved from duty for the day to rest up and was just getting escorted back to her dorm by Keith.

"I guess that I am needed outside but I will check on you later." Keith said as they entered her dorm.

"No, please don't go." Luna said still with a teary voice as she grabbed his arm in panic. "I...I just don't want to be alone. I...I am so scared."

"Don't worry, I will not leave you. You are safe now, nothing will hurt you.." Keith said in a calm soothing voice as he embraced her while letting her cry against his shoulder. "Everything will be fine. I...1 will protect you."

"You must think I am acting foolish, crying like a small baby." Luna sobbed. "I..I just can't help it. The tears just won't stop."

"No not at all, just human. It shows how mush you actually care about others. If other just could care at least half of that about you back." He said as he hold her close. ("Not even those tears seems to ruin your cute face. They just shows much you cares. If the situation had been different I would have kissed you, but right now I think it is better to just support you.")

Luna felt how the tears just continued as she still cried against his shoulder, but for the first time for long she felt really safe like nothing bad could happen. ("He really cares for me. This beats the teddybear. What is that strange warm feeling I get in my stomach and chest? Love?")

Back at the base camp Raine had just came back to meet up with her sisters at the field hospital, only to finding Julia there.

"Hey, where is Luna and Keith?"

"May didn't make it and after you left some guys came walking by, whispering some pretty nasty stuff to each other and nearly accusing Luna for the destruction. With that she had a serious breakdown." Julia said sadly.

"She wants to help people so badly that she starts blaming herself if she can't save them." Raine said with a sad head shake as she spoke. "Where is she now?"

"I asked Dr Kadowaki to give her medical permission to take the rest of the day of due to her injuries and exhaustion." Julia said. " Keith escorted her to her dorm. That boy is amazing. He stood up for her when those to jerks nearly accused her and he seems to care a lot about lil' sis."

"Yeah, and he seems to mean a lot to her to." Raine said. "It is a long time since I saw her so happy as she was yesterday at the dinner table."

"But we have gotten another problem to." Julia said. "She have begun to blame herself for mom's death even more. She have begun to think that she spreads death and grief to the ones she love."

"The destruction and all death must have taken it's toll on her." Raine sighed

"Hello babe. Have you missed me? I heard from my sister that the little witch had gotten a boo boo." A familiar voice said and Raine quickly spun around and threw one of her butterfly swords so it just swished by the side of the head on the boy who stood there.

"Wow, you have become pretty good at aiming." Ewan said a bit shaken.

"What are you talking about?" Raine hissed at him venomously. "I missed."

"Uh, is it that time of the month already?" He wondered as his face got a few shades paler.

"Take my advise and just go before anyone gets hurts." Raine said as she tried to keep calm. ("Use the few braincells you have and just go please before I do anything I will regret later.")

"What is wrong babe?" Ewan asked a bit confused.

"Why don't you tell us?" Julia said as she walked side by side with Raine. "You can start to explain why you did what you did to lil' sis. What exactly drove you to gather a pack of six other fully grown shit heads to beat up one lonely girl? She was really devastated and scared when we found her."

"Okay, maybe I got a little bit carried away." He said as he raised his hands in defense." But whatever that little snitching witch said I bet she overdid it."

"A LITTLE BIT? OKAY, THAT'S IT." Raine yelled angry as she threw herself at him totally out of any kind of self control. "YOU DIE NOW."

"Raine, calm down."Julia said as she grabbed her sister around the waist just before she had the chance to hit him. "It won't help either us or Luna if you get in trouble for beating him up.."

"LET ME GO. I WILL KILL THAT ASSHOLE. " Raine continued yelling as she struggled to get loose from her sisters grip. "NO ONE HURTS MY SISTERS AND GET AWAY WITH IT."

"Let dad deal with it." Julia said as she struggled to hold her sister. ("Damn, someone have definitively eaten her vegetables. I don't remember her being this strong.")

"SNITCHING WITCH? OVERDID IT? MY ASS, YOU BROKE HER RIBS GOODAMMIT." Raine still kicking and screamed towards a terrified Ewan. "WE HAD TO DRAG IT OUT OF HER, BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T WANT TO HURT ME BY TELLING ME WHAT A BAG OF SHIT YOU REALLY ARE.."

"Okay I get it. I went a bit far by kicking her in the ribs but I was pissed." Ewan said pretty terrified. "The fact is that if it hadn't been for her, we would still be together."

"YOU SURE HAVE A VERY SHORT MEMORY." Raine screamed as she fought to get loose. "I WOULD BE DEAD IF IT HADN'T BEEN FOR HER. SOMETHING YOU SOON WILL BE WHEN I GET A HOLD ON YOU. I AM GOING TO MAKE A BAGPIPE OUT OF YOUR GUTS AND DANCE ON YOUR GRAVE PLAYING IT."

"Ewan, please just go. Stop pouring gasoline on the fire." Julia pleaded as she felt that she started to lose her grip around Raine. "I don't know how much longer I can hold her."

Ewan just nodded terrified before he left quickly, but before he reached the entrance, Julia called after him. "Remember, this isn't something that I did for your sake. I did it only to protect my sisters, because I don't want any of them to get into trouble. And next time maybe I don't have the time to catch her, or the strength to hold her."

When Ewan had left Raine finally calmed down, much because she didn't have the energy to continue the rage.

"W-when the hell did you get that strong?" Julia asked tired.

"I can ask you the same thing." Raine panted heavily as the adrenaline rush ebbed out. "I could have taken him."

"I know. That was why I stopped you." Julia said. "You would have killed him, or at least make him wish that you had."

"What have happened here?" Squall asked as he walked into the tent. "That guy that just walked out looked pretty terrified. Your former boyfriend right?"

"Raine just had a pretty nice outburst." Julia said. "She can be pretty scary when she loose it."

"Yes, I know. How is Luna?" He asked worried."I heard from Dr Kadowaki that she had been relieved from duty due to medical conditions."

"She have received some cuts on her right arm and leg." Julia said. "She is once again in a pretty bad shape mentally to. May didn't survive and she took it pretty hard."

"Yes, I heard something about that, poor girl. To make matters worse, I haven't found the abusers yet." Squall said sadly.

"We already know who it is" Raine said with disgust. "It was Ewan along with some friends who beat up lil' sis."

"How did you figure it out?" Squall asked surprised.

"Luna knew all, she just didn't want to tell us because she knew I still liked him. " Raine said bitterly. "We had to push her a bit to make her tell us."

"I will see to that he will get expelled when all this is over." Squall said to his daughter.

"Yeah, but we have a bigger problem to deal with to that I and Raine discussed just when Ewan showed up." Julia said. "She is blaming herself even more about mom's death now to."

"Oh my. I was afraid for that." Squall sighed. "Quistis told me that they have started to use that against her."

"Before we deal with that I think we should let her rest because she is way too exhausted to deal with it now." Julia said. "I think we have to wait until tomorrow."

I know this chapter became quite dark, but the most things happens for a reason later on. Reviews are very appreciated.


	6. What Am I? A Witch Or Angel Of Death?

Hi again. This chapter is going to be a lot about Keith and Luna. The dream that is explained in the beginning have nothing to do with the powers more than the psychological pressure they bring to her. Also, this is a very angst chapter so sensitive readers beware. And once again I am balancing on what is suited for this age rating so please tell me if you want me to make this to a rating M story.

Chapter 6: What Am I? A Witch Or Angel Of Death?

(Wednesday August 11th)

Luna woke up the next morning. Even if she hadn't gotten any apparitions this night she had been plagued by nightmares

("What a rough night.")

She sat up in her bed and then the images from the dream just poured into her mind. (" My wings turned black and then one by one the people around me just fell to to the ground and dissolved into dust.")

("Dad, Raine, Julia just died, even Keith. What does it all mean? What...am I?")

She stepped out of bed as she heard a knock on her door.

"Good morning Angeleye." Keith said gently as he walked into her dorm with a tray with two bowls of oatmeal, two glasses of juice and some sandwiches. "I thought that you maybe wanted to rest a bit with everything that happened yesterday, so I took the liberty to get you some breakfast. I also picked up a new uniform for you because your old is in pretty bad shape. I think I got the right size."

"That is so sweet of you." Luna said with a thin smile as she sat down by a small table and begun to eat together with him. ("I really appreciate your help. I am really going to need you at the funerals today. I just wished I could tell you how much you really matter to me.")

"I just want to take care of you." He said. "Your dreams haven't been too sweet, right?"

"No, nightmares have been plaguing me the whole night."

"Figures. You woke up screaming a few times. I had to hold you some times to help you calm down." Keith said. "Care to tell me about the dreams? It must be a quite burden to keep them inside."

"No, I don't want to burden you with that." She answered while shaking her head. "And it is just stupid dreams."

"Okay, but just so you know so I am here for you. And I think your family to."

"They have been amazing. Especially our father. We have never seen him as the worlds savior. For us he is just our dad, and neither of us would want it any different." Luna told him. "He is a hero in my eyes because he have always seen to that we have had roof over our head including food and clothes."

"He sure have a busy schedule because he is after all the commander and sometimes it can be a bit hard to balance our family ties and professional, but he have always cared for us and never missed a birthday and always taken care of us when we have been sick or sad. That teddybear over there did he get me when I had the chicken pox when I was four." She said with a small laughter at the memory, but then received a grave expression on her face.

"That is...why it hurt so much to know how much I have hurt them...That they always have to worry about me and thanks to me mom is gone."

"I have been sparring pretty much with dad this last year because very few of the other cadets wants to. And those who does, make every move possible to hurt me."

"Do you mean physically?" Keith said worried.

"Yeah, I have some scars from when I had to spar with other students." Luna said as she rose and pulled down her pajamas jacket and showed him her back.

"Oh my." Keith said as he looked at the scar that ran straight across from her right shoulder to the end of the ribcage on the left side and another that mirrored the first forming a cross and some small leftovers from burns. "That must have hurt."

"Yeah, it hurt a lot. And I had to replace my uniform jacket." she said as she pulled up her pajamas again. "If you count the one yesterday this is my fifth jacket."

"The first one got slashed just like the second wish left those scars and one got burnt by a fire spell. But it wasn't the injuries that hurt most." She said. "The thing that hurt most was that they wanted to hurt me, that it weren't accidents. They used just enough force so they wouldn't kill me, and to make it look like accidents. You are the first none family that I show those scars for. I received the first one on my thirteenth birthday and had to spend the most of the afternoon in the infirmary, and the second just seven months later. I received the burns a week after I turned fourteen"

"I had to fight real hard to parry the blows because I didn't want to hurt anyone back. After the _accident _with the fire spell is it only dad I spar with. We felt it was safer like that."

"You must have an enormous patients to act so friendly towards everyone, even when they hurt you."

"I have gotten used to it, and I can tell you, there is plenty of nights I have cried myself to sleep." Luna said with a humorless smile and a tear emerged . "And that isn't the worst thing they have done to me."

"Yeah, I heard about that underwear incident when they threw all your underwear into the large fountain...even if I have it hard to see how that can be worse than injuring you."

"They have done a far worse thing." Luna said as a tear emerged in the other eye to. "When I turned fourteen just six month ago, I got a kitten of dad and my sisters. She was black with a white spot on the chest that looked just like a crescent moon, I named her Moonbeam and I loved her over everything else."

"But one month later some other cadets kidnapped her and brought her to the Quad and treated that they would throw her over the railing. I pledged that they would give her back and that I would do anything they asked." Luna said as the tears now ran freely down her cheeks.

"Then everything got out of hand. Moonbeam succeeded in scratching one of the cadets on the cheek and enraged he threw her over the railing. I...I saw how her small body got torn apart by the hovering ring. I...I loved her so much."

("Why do I open myself up for you like this? Is it because I have feelings for you? I wonder if you have feelings for me.")

"I...I am sorry. I can imagine how much you loved her." Keith said comforting as he stroke away some tears from her cheek.. "Those bastards deserves a lesson."

"That was the second time dad had the opportunity to expel at least three cadets...but that wont bring her back."

Out in the refugee camp the twins met up with their father.

"Have any of you seen Luna today?" Squall asked a bit worried.

"No, she didn't show up for breakfast." Raine said. "We haven't seen Keith either."

"I am afraid this time she won't recover as quickly as she use to." Julia said. "And it won't be any easier with how the others glares and insults."

"Yeah, and today is when the funeral pyres are lit to. Today it is her last chance to say good bye to her friend." Raine said. "She is in for a rough ride."

"All we can do is be there for her." Squall said.

"Hey, you are roommate with Keith, aren't you?" Julia asked a boy that walked by. "Have you seen him today?"

"No I haven't seen him, but I bet he is with that little witch. He seem to have gotten a thing for her." He answered. "Not that I understands what he is seeing in her. Maybe he is hoping that the little witch will take a ride on his broomstick"

"TWERP." Raine yelled as she slapped the boy hard.

"Feeling any better now, Wrench?" Julia asked her sister a bit sarcastic.

"Mush better." Raine answered delighted.

"Then maybe we should go?" Julia said. "My shift is about to start and we need one generator repaired."

Luna and Keith were on their way towards the field hospital to

"Out of my way witch." A female cadet squeezed between them and pushed Luna so hard that she fell head first to the ground with a thud.

"Ouch, that hurt." Luna said as she rose up with the help of Keith.

"They seem to have gotten even crueler now against you now." Keith said with a frown.

"It is because a sorceress did this and they know I am one to." Luna said. "Somehow they seem to blame it on me without thinking about that I just lost one of my best friends and her sister here. Lets go, the hospital tent need help with taking in some crates."

An hour later had they taken in the most crates into the medical tent.

"Just one more crate." Luna said as she and Keith carried the box into the tent. "It is a hard work, but somebody must do it."

"Are you sure that you should work like you do today? I mean, with all that has happened and the wounds you have since yesterday." Keith said a bit worried.

"Thanks for caring about me, but if I work I don't have to think. I am afraid that if I think to much, I might break down." She answered with a sigh. "And I can't just to sit down and feel sorry about myself when others suffer. The last crate isn't too heavy so I will get it while you help the nurses."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, it is just around the corner." Luna said with a smile as she walked out.

"Keith, where is Luna?" Julia wondered as she walked into the tent to begin her shift along with Raine who were going to repair one of the generators and Squall who were going to inspect what equipment that were needed.

"She is out and getting the last crate." Keith answered "I am pretty impressed that she even works today with all that has happened. The whole night have been a real hell for her."

"She is much stronger than she looks and much more than she realize." Julia said. "She is so strong that she becomes fragile. When she breaks, she does it hard because all emotional pain she tries to hide crushes her at once."

"How do you know that she had had nightmares by the way?" Raine wondered curious.

"I was there with her tonight." He answered, but instantly noticed Squall's expression. "Eh, I wasn't with her like that. I was just comforting her as good as I could, and that I was all. I didn't sleep with or anything like that."

"Well, then I thank you for taking care of my youngest daughter. As long as you keep it in your pants you have my blessing." Squall said with a smirk. ("Even if I were three years older I can see myself in him when I fell in love with Rinoa but didn't have the courage to tell her before it was almost to late. Hope he don't wait as long as I did.")

"Eh, thank you sir." Keith said as he blushed a bit. ("How could he know that I am in love with Luna? I haven't even had the courage to tell her yet.")

Luna had just grabbed the last crate when she heard a familiar voice

"You fucking little witch." Ewan cried out as he grabbed her around her neck and lifted her up with both his hands from the ground. "Raine hates me now, only because you couldn't keep your damn little mouth shut."

Luna struggled all she could to get loose. ("I...Can't...Breath.")

("Must...Get...Air...Getting...Dizzy.")

She started to feel how she started to loose her consciousness, but just before everything went black he threw her to the ground. She hit the ground hard where she lay heavily gasping for air while something warm and wet felt against her right leg. ("Damn, the stitches.")

"I had hoped that maybe we could have made some kind of agreement and get together again, but you ruined it all."Ewan said with a cruel smile. "Because I never get to pop her cherry now I am simply going to pop your instead."

"No please don't." Luna pleaded as she tried to escape by crouching away because her wound made it hard to rise up, but Ewan got a firm grip around her foot dragging her back ("Damn I forgot the gunblade in my room.")

He grabbed both her wrists while he tied them up behind her back before he turned her onto her back and then whispered in her ear while his hand made it's way up against her hip. "I told you before we were going to have some fun, didn't I?"

("No please, not that. Anything but that.") She thought terrified as she understood what was going to happen.

"HELP ME PLEASE SOMEBODY HELP." she screamed as high as she could but the only response she got were from two cadets that walked by.

"Did you hear that?"

"Yeah, I bet that little witch is getting beaten up again."

"Yeah, she is getting what she deserves for the destruction around here."

"Yeah, you are right."

And then they simply walked by.

"There is no use in screaming you dirty little witch." He said leering as he undid her necker and opened her jacket. He ripped open her T-shirt revealing her bra.

("No...nobody cares.") She thought as tears started to emerge from her eyes as she closed them just so she at least didn't have to see what was going to happen as everything become a blur.

("I am going to get robbed of my last ounce of dignity, and nobody cares. Dad, Raine Julia where are you? Keith, I am sorry I couldn't save my innocence for you.")

("I am...totally...worthless.") Luna desperately thought as she felt how Ewan started to fumble to get her panties down while she struggled to get free and the last hope for rescue left her. ("Please, let this be quick.")

"Hm, white bikini cut panties. Isn't that a bit too innocent for you? I thought a little dirty witch like you would wear something more slutty under the skirt if anything at all.." Ewan whispered in her ear as he finally got a good grip on her underwear. "But those wont stay on for long, so lie still now."

.

"NOOO!" She now screamed out as she finally lost it and with that an uncontrolled burst of energy shot out from her body as the panic took over.

Inside the tent Squall looked up from the list he wrote over supplies needed. "Did you girls hear that?"

"Yeah, it almost sounded like an explosion." Raine said as she looked up from the generator and looked at Keith, her father and sister. "Let's go check what happened."

Squall along with the rest were pressing trough the crowd that had gathered, but when they finally came trough a terrifying sight met them. Luna lie there on the ground unconscious. Her uniform jacket was still open and her T-shirt was ripped open at the front. With fright they noticed the small puddle of blood by her knees

"LUNA" Julia yelled as she ran towards her sister with Keith in tow.

"YOU BLASTED ME YOU FUCKING WITCH." Ewan yelled from where he lie on the ground still smoking just a few feet from her.

"YOU ASSHOLE."Raine screamed with burning eyes as she dragged him up and pressed him against the wall with one of her butterfly swords against his throat and then looked pleading at her father. "Can I kill him this time? PLEEEAAASE daddy."

"I am tempted to let you." Squall said in a stern voice. "But no, not this time."

"BUT HE..." Raine tried.

"No killing."

"Tsh fine." Raine pouted as she released her grip on Ewan. "But next time I will place his head on a stake outside my room as a trophy."

"I had hoped to wait until all this was over, but you give me no choice. For having used violence against and sexually assaulted a fellow cadet you Ewan McGee, are hereby dishonorable stripped from your SeeD title and obligated to leave Balamb Garden according to garden code one three two one and five seven eight four." Squall said to the boy.

"No you can't do that." Ewan screamed.

"Or do you rather face court martial?" Squall snapped at the boy who just had tried to abuse his daughter. "The only reason I kick you out rather than trial you is because it is easiest for everyone...especially my daughter."

"Brother, what happened?" Kim asked terrified as she came running.

"That little witch nearly fried me." Ewan spat out angrily. "And they expel ME."

"It is that little witch who deserves to be expelled." Kim said angry while pointing at Luna. "She nearly killed my brother."

"Just shut the fuck up bitch." Raine snapped as she started to loose her temper again "He just tried to rape her so he got what he deserved. I would rather gut him right here and now."

"Well if you hadn't chosen her over me, it wouldn't have happened." Ewan leered at her. "So in a way it is your fault."

" OKAY, THAT'S IT." Raine screamed furious right before she kicked him straight in the groin with all her strength. "I might not have the right to kill you, but I gladly take any punishment for doing this. "

Ewan fell down writhing in pain while every male around showed their sympathy with pained faces as they shielded their crotches except from Squall and Keith of course. Julia just looked at her twin in disbelief.

"That is the only pleasure you ever will get from any of the Leonhart sisters. Got that?" Raine said satisfied.

"Keith, can you help me get her to the medical tent." Julia asked. "The blood comes from her stitches. He didn't had time to violate her that far to take her virginity."

"Sure." Keith said as he lifted the unconscious girl up in his arms.

Julia cleared a way while Keith carried Luna trough the crowd.

"No please don't." Luna woke up screaming as she flew up to sitting position

"You are safe now. You are in one of the medical tents. You passed out." Julia said gently. "I have sewn your wound again and put some lotion on the rope burns."

Then everything came back to her. Everything that had happened and she felt tears emerge in her eyes.

"He...he tried to..." She whimpered as she crushed into a fetus position. "And I... and I ...killed him...with my...I killed him."

"Everything is okay now. He survived with some smaller burns and is now expelled from the Garden ." Keith said soothing as he embraced her. "He wont hurt you again."

"I...I didn't...want to...hurt anyone." Luna whimpered as the tears streamed down her cheeks once again as the chock eased. "I didn't want to..."

("I almost killed him.")

("They really hate me. They think it is my fault.") Luna thought as she felt the glares from the other cadets and SeeD that almost penetrated her and burnt her soul while they whispered to each other. ("Probably because I almost killed someone.")

("What am I? A bringer of death?")

("I just want to help people, not hurt them.")

"Luna? Do you hear me?" Julia said

"W-what?"

"With all that has happened both today and yesterday I think that you should rest for today." Julia said concerned. "You must have pretty much on your mind"

"No, I can't just sit and do nothing." Luna said panicked.

"I know you want to help, but you must take time to work out the thoughts of what has happened." Julia said concerned. "The longer you wait the harder will it be, and we will be there for you if you want to talk."

"Hey, I heard what happened." A girl said leering mockingly as she walked by. "Wasn't the little witch satisfied with killing her own mom so she decided to kill again? Fourteen years is an awful long time without new blood on your hands for a killer you know."

"What do you want Amanda?" Julia asked irritated.

"Oh nothing. I just wanted to see how the little killer is doing."

("Little...killer? Is that the way they look at me now?")

"You get out of here...NOW." Julia demanded while pointing towards the exit. "Or else you soon will look like your friend Tiffany."

"You would never hit anyone." Amanda said a bit unsure. "You aren't like your sister. You aren't like Raine."

"Tiffany thought that about Luna to, and now she has a black eye. So beat it bitch." Julia said menacing with her fist knitted while Amanda left pretty quick.

She turned to her sister again. "You should rest for the funerals later. Keith will follow you back to your room, and that isn't negotiable."

A little while later Luna stood in her bathroom, washing her hands for the tent time. ("Those damn stains will never go away.")

She suddenly looked at her reflection in the mirror and felt a sting of disgust inside her of what she saw. She felt just as broken and shattered as the mirror was ("I am nothing...just a damn freak.")

("If dad or my sisters should see me right now they would probably tell me that there are no stains there, but I can feel them right now. I have never thought about it before, but today it became evident.") She thought as she let her finger trail along one of the cracks.

("Fourteen year old stains of blood.")

("Mom's blood.")

("I almost added more blood on my hands today. I am a monster.")

She walked out into her room and crouched up against the wall on her bed with her teddybear in her arms.

("What...what will become of me?")

("How can anyone like me save anyone? Mom must have been wrong.")

("All I do is screwing up and hurting people. How can so nice people like my family and Kieth even stand to be close to me?")

("I couldn't even save my best friend's life because I was too damn weak. I..I tried so hard for nothing and if it hadn't been for me she would never had left. I am so sorry May.)

"It is all my fault." She whispered to herself as she hugged her teddybear even harder in an almost panicked manner while some tears made their way down her cheek.

(It is my fault...I was the one who killed you.")

("Mom would also still be alive if it hadn't been for me. I killed her to, and I nearly killed today again. Those close to me keep telling me it was in self defense, but does that makes any difference?")

("How can I go on living with myself with an awful crime like that?")

("I would still have had more blood on my already tainted hands. Mommy, I am sorry...I would have died instead of you. Raine and Julia, it is my fault you don't have a mom. I am sorry dad that you have to be alone. I am sorry. Everything is my fault.")

(" I...I would never have been born. Then I wouldn't been able to hurt anyone")

("Maybe the world would be better without me. Then my sisters and dad wouldn't have to worry.")

("If I had been stronger Ewan wouldn't had a chance to do what he almost did...and by that he wouldn't had been almost blasted to dust.")

She looked up at the case where she had her gunblade standing and felt a strange desire inside her yelling out.

("Maybe it would be for the best for everyone. Then I can't hurt anyone anymore.")

She sat down by her desk . The tears burnt like acid against her cheeks as she started to write a letter to her loved ones.

_Dear father!_

_I am sorry things have turned out this way and when you read this I am in a better place. _

_Julia and Raine, I know you have sacrificed so much for my sake and you shall know I am forever grateful for having the world's best family. Far more than I deserve, especially after what I did to our mother. It is my fault she is gone. Father I am sorry that you thanks to me have to live alone_

_I am so sorry for how I have hurt you all and how I now will hurt you one last time and when you read this I have finally atoned for my sins._

_But I think it is better this way for everyone because I can't go on like this anymore. I will just keep hurting the people around me._

_On top of that I can no longer take it being treated like I have been now. Despite where I turn I end up being an outcast. They finally won._

She took a deep breath for the next lines she was going to write while her tears stained the paper.

_Now to you Kieth. You shall know that the time we had was the best time in my life and and I know I will hurt you by what I am going to say now but I just have to say it because I can't keep it in anymore. I love you so much that it almost hurts and I hope you find someone that deserves you far more than I do._

_I will wait for you all together with mom on the other side._

_I am sorry for everything and please don't mourn me because now I am finally free_

_Love_

_Luna Leonhart_

Now she took the gunblade out from it's case and sat down on the bed, taking a deep breath readying herself for what she was going to do.

("Now I am going to end the pain for good. Both my own and others.")

("Two quick cuts and a short single moment of pain and everything will be over. All the pain will vanish forever, vanish together with the blood. My hands will finally become clean.")

The thoughts were almost comforting.

("To just sleep.")

With a trembling hand she placed the edge against her wrist and closed her tear stained eyes readying herself to slit open the first vein with a quiet sob.

("Here I go. Soon I will be free.")

("No more pain.")

("May, here I come. Moonbeam, hope you remember me.")

("I hope you met me up on the other side.")

("Good bye everyone. I am sorry dad, Raine and Julia, but I can't go on like this anymore. I will meet you all on the other side together with mom someday.")

("Good bye Keith. I am sorry but...I guess... Hope you find someone that deserves you better than me.")

"Luna, it is almost time for the...eh are you in there?" Keith said as he were about to enter her dorm but noticed that the door was locked

"Please, just go away." He could hear Luna's voice whimpering from inside. "I...I am sorry, but I can't go on like this anymore."

"Go on with what?"

"Please just go...And tell my family I am sorry...but I cant stand this kind of life anymore...All I do is screwing everything up."

"What are you talking about?" Keith asked worried trough the door. "What are you planning to do?"

"There is no meaning for me to keep lying to myself. That is why I am going to end it all now. It is the best thing to do for everyone. Good bye Keith. Please tell my dad and my sisters that I am sorry, but it is best for all if I just disappear."

"But you can't just give up now...There is so much to live for." Keith exclaimed through the door.

"Like what? I...almost killed someone today...just like I killed May... and I killed mom." She said sadly as the weapon started to tremble. "What is the point with keep fighting when you are hated by nearly everyone? To wake up every damn morning knowing that it will be just another day in hell? Thanks to me my sisters can't live normally because they have to protect me. Thanks to me my father is living alone because mom died giving birth to me. My whole life was just a mistake from the beginning."

"If not for yourself, do it for your family...they really love you and it would tear them apart from the inside if you disappear" Keith said gently as he gathered strength for the next words.

("Dad, Julia, Raine.") The memories from two years ago on how her father and Julia had reacted when it became obvious that Raine's leukemia was terminal and there were nothing the doctors could do to save her.

("Will they react the same way if...I disappear?")

("Dad would be devastated and Julia would never forgive me for taking the easy way out.")

("Raine would never forgive herself because I saved her and thus placed me in this whole situation. I just can't let them go trough that, I just can't.")

"Do it for me. " Keith continued. ("It is now or never. I have already said to much to turn back now.")

"W-what do you mean?" Luna asked a bit confused of his sudden words as the gunblade just trembled more and more. ("What shall I do? I...I don't know.")

"Ever since I met you ...I have had deeper feelings for you but have been to afraid to tell you." Keith said as he took a deep breath. "I...I love you...I love you so much it almost hurts every time we are apart."

"You mean...like between a man and a woman?" Luna asked unsure. ("What? Is he confessing his love to me? A witch? With tainted hands since birth?")

"Yeah, that is what I mean." Keith said as he started to feel some hope. ("I think that I am reaching her.")

The thoughts just spun around inside Luna's head as she trembled with the hand she held the gunblade. ("If I go trough with it now, I will only hurt those I love even more.")

With a frustrated scream she finally flew up from the bed and threw her gunblade straight towards the window and thus shattering it as the gunblade made contact. Soon she could hear the splash as the weapon sank in the ocean outside as she stood there panting heavily. ("I...just can't do it.")

"Luna, what happened? Please open up." Keith said worried. ("Please, don't say she threw herself out trough the window. I was so close to reach out to her.")

The door slid open and the sight terrified him pretty much. Luna stood there with red eyes after all the tears and the expression on her face lacked the will to live that she usually had. The glow she usually burned was just flickering in her eyes and with the the cut between her eyes similar to her father's made her a bit frightening. ("Oh Hyne, she is a complete wreak right now. That rape attempt must really have gotten pretty deep into her soul.").

"Angeleye?" He said carefully

"Keith...I couldn't do it...I really tried but I couldn't do it."She looked at him before throwing herself into his arms so hard they both fell to the floor when he catch her.

"I where just two small cuts from it. Eternal peace." Luna said crying. "But I just couldn't do it, I just couldn't."

"I am glad you didn't." Keith said soothing as a tear rolled down on his cheek while he cradled her close to him. "If you find me worthy, I will be your knight. I love you so much it almost hurts when I am apart from you."

"You really mean that? Seriously?"

"Yeah, I do. You mean a lot to me."

"Then I would love to have you as my knight. Promise me to never leave me. Please promise me." Luna answered as she still shed some tears with her head against his chest. His heartbeats calmed the emotions inside her. ("Is this possible? I am not dreaming?")

"I promise. You will never be alone." Keith said in a calm soothing voice. "Not as long I am here for you."

Keith once again looked into those cold blue eyes and saw the glow that had resided there slowly returned along with the will to live.. ("I...I can't fight the urge any longer. I really love you.")

Luna looked back into his soft calm green eyes. ("So this is what love feels? I have never even dared thinking about it before. I actually never thought that I might met someone like you.")

Before they knew it their lips met in a long gentle kiss.

"It is almost time for the funerals and the others are waiting." Keith said when their lips finally parted. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah, lets go. I am just getting ready." Luna said as she moved towards the door. "And Keith, thanks for that you being you."

Luna stood by May's and Meyrin's pyre with Kieth by her side. In honor to her her friend she gave the SeeD salute despite she wasn't a cadet anymore. Their red hair were neatly combed. Both of them also wore white sundresses with blue flowers on. She had just sung their friendship song.

May's dress were slightly longer with brown knee high boots tucked under the dress to hide the fact her legs were gone. She still had the friendship bracelet around her wrist. They looked peaceful, almost like they just slept and could wake up any minute.

("Sleep tight my friend. We will met again some day.")

She watched how the flames engulfed the remains of her friend and her sister while some tears once again made their way down her cheek while Kieth rested his arms around her giving her support..

"Luna? Can we talk in privet?" She heard a voice behind her.

"Oh, Mrs Lindsay. Sure." Luna said with a tear trailing down her cheek as she gave Kieth a nod that it was okay for him to leave. " I mourn your loss...I understand if you can't forgive me for that I couldn't save them."

"There is nothing to forgive. I know you did everything you could and I am glad you two had the possibility to talk things trough so May could die with a clean conscious.." Mrs Lindsay said with teary eyes. "She told us what had happened between you two and she was very ashamed of it. It didn't pass a day without her regretting it...Thank you for forgiving her."

"We were the best of friends and she fought bravely for a whole year to maintain that, even if she risked to get the same treatment as I got, but in the end it became to much for her. I was never angry at her, because somehow I knew she didn't have any choice."

"May asked us to give you these." Mrs Lindsay said as she got a box from her husband and stretched out for Luna to take it. She opened the box and inside lay two gunblades in the size of a pair of dagger, each blade just as long as her underarm.

"The Silverwings." Luna said surprised. "They was her most cherished possessions. A memento from her grandfather. I can't take them from you."

"Of course, you can." Mrs Lindsay said. "They will serve you more because, me and my husband are too old to learn how to use them. It would honor both May's and Meyrin's memory if you used them to fight for the things you believe in."

"But...I don't know if I have what it takes to fight anymore." Luna said a sad frown.

"That is fertilizer and you know it. I know you, and you are the kind of person who just can't stand still and watch while others suffer." Mrs Lindsay said gently with a sad smile. "The triumph of evil is when good persons like you just stands and watching without doing anything about it. So please take them, they are yours. We would be honored if you used them to fight for a better world where a parent never has to experience what we experienced today."

"Thanks so much. It really means a lot to me." Luna said as she accepted the weapons and held them up looking at it. Studying the black handles carved out of a horn from a behemoth. Her eyes trailed to the the gun part, that was just like the revolver. Her eyes then trailed up against the blades that were adorned just like wings. ("I will take good care of them for you May. You will always be in my heart as a friend.")

Squall and his eldest daughters stood and had a talk while letting Luna to say her final goodbye when Kieth came walking.

"Where is Luna?" Julia asked.

"She and May's parents is having a talk and they wanted to be alone." Kieth answered. "I hope they don't go to hard on her."

"I see you care very much about her. And for that I am forever grateful." Squall said looking at the young man..

"Oh, you don't need to thank me. I just do as my heart is telling me to do." Keith said.

"I just can't believe that idiot attacked her again." Raine sadly shaking her head.

"You mean she have had been abused by him before?" Keith asked. ("So that is why she were so afraid)

"Yeah,.she didn't want to tell on him because she knew I still liked him." Raine said with a sad frown.

"It wasn't your fault Wrench." Julia said. "You couldn't know he was capable of any of it."

"Yeah I know." Raine said. "The important thing is to try to make the best out of the future. To try to stop the teasing somehow."

Just then they saw Luna coming.

"Are you okay Angeleye?" Keith asked as he gently placed his arm around her shoulder as they shared a little kiss.

"Yeah, at least I feel better than I did just a while ago."

"Aw, you two look so cute together." Julia said amused.

"When did you two become that close?" Raine wondered with a broad smile.

"Just a few hours ago." Luna said with a shy smile and some red taints on her cheeks."So now we are not just friends but also sorceress and knight."

"Luna. I would want to talk with you about a thing that I think have been on your mind lately." Squall said. ("I have never actually really talked with her about her birth because I didn't want her to think about it to much, but now I think it would be the best thing to do.")

"Sure father, what is it?"

"I think it would be better if we could be alone. We leave tonight after dinner. I have some meetings right now I have to attend to. See you later."

"Okay, but where are we going?"

"To a place I haven't been visiting in far to long in Centra." Squall said.

"But the only thing that exist in Centra now is the orphanage nanny Edea and Cid is running."

"Just that place is where we are going." Squall said."You will understand when we get there."

The rest of the day moved on and after the dinner Luna and Squall met up by the Ragnarok. Luna had changed out from her uniform and into her normal clothes, so now father and daughter looked pretty alike except that Luna also wore a black cap and had added a pair of black fingerless leather gloves. She also had equipped herself with the Silverwings.

"Are you ready?" Squall asked

"Yeah, at least as much as I can be." Luna answered as the two boarded the Ragnarok.

I know that this chapter took a very dark turn, but ended in a bit more happy aspect. Next chapter will be a bit brighter. Also I am going to have a little voting about if Ewan now shall be totally gone or if he will make a small comeback. I have both types of endings in my head. I would be delighted if you reviewed the story.


	7. The Wings Starts To Grow

Hi. Here is the next chapter. I know that Squall might be a bit out of character compared to the game, but that is how I think Rinoa have changed him. I don't think he would revert back to his old self. In this chapter I am going to throw in a new character that some people might going to find a bit annoying, but give her a chance, she will be important later.

Chapter 7: The Wings Starts To Grow

(Thursday August 12th)

The next morning, Raine were doing some maintenance work on the vehicles when Julia came walking in.

"Hi Wrench. What are you up to?"

"I am trying to trim up the engines a bit so they will go faster."

"I thought that we could take the train to Deling City today when we have the day of and go shopping and relaxing." Julia said.

"Well, why not." Raine said. "But no dresses or skirts for me this time."

"Oh Hyne forbid it, _brother_." Julia scowled sarcastically as she rolled her eyes. "Oh, by the way, do you mind if Keith come with us? After all his social status around here is quite low because he is dating lil' sis. I am afraid that they might try to split them up just to hurt Luna again, and he deserves a rest from this place to after all he have done for her."

"No, that's okay. Neither I want that the others shall have any chance in splitting them up. " Raine said. "Tessa and Chris would join to if they have time. They returned from Esthar yesterday with the Ragnarok after getting some more supplies just a few hours before dad and Luna left.."

Luna woke up in the copilot seat and noticed that her father had laid a blanket over her while she were asleep.

"We are almost there now." She heard her father say. "Slept well?"

"Yeah, kind of." She answered as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "At least I haven't had any nightmares."

"I thought so. You looked so peaceful. " He said with a smile. "Almost like when you were little."

"Yeah, those were happy times." She said with a deep sight. "No guilt and I had a lot of friends. All before I discovered what I was."

"And most of all, no sorrow...I have lost two dear friends in a short time. First Moonbeam and then May. May's death have have I already been forgiven for by her parents even if it still hurts, but Moonbeam...I just can't. just forgive myself for letting them kidnap her. Even if we just got a month, we really found each other."

"I understand what you mean with the thing about sorrow and friends. May was a good friend and you really loved that kitten. But what do you mean by guilt?"

"I have hurt you and my sisters in so many ways. Even if it have became quite clear that Ewan is a jerk, Raine still loved him until I told her what had happened and it is thanks to me that they broke up in the first place." She said as she looked out trough the windshield. "And then...Dad, can I ask you something? And I want you to be completely honest with me so please don't lie because I really have to know." Luna continued.

"Yes, of course." Squall said. "You can ask anything and I will be completely honest with you."

"Have...have you even for just a brief moment ever blamed me for mom's death?" Luna asked as she struggled against the tears. "I mean...after all did she die when when giving birth to me, and she could maybe have saved herself if I hadn't gotten her powers. I wont hold it against you even if you hate me for it."

"Never that I even let myself even get close to thoughts like that. You and your sisters are the most important persons in my life. I even value you over myself, because you brought so many good things out of me even your mother couldn't." Squall said soothing. "Fasten your seat belt now. We are landing."

When they had landed and walked down the landing ramp an elderly woman met them up.

"Squall, I haven't seen you in three years, at Cid's retirement party."

"Fun to see you too Matron." Squall said. "How are Cid and the children?"

"They are just fine. Little Amber is just having a cold and is now lying in bed." Edea said and then turned towards Luna. "Oh my, I can't believe it. You have grown into a pretty young woman since last I saw you. How are things working out for you?"

"Well actually, these last two years have been quite rough." Luna said. "I exposed my powers to save Raine when she was sick."

"Oh, I see. I am sorry to hear that. As a former sorceress I know what can happen if you get caught. That is why I started the orphanage so far away from the rest of the world."

"Matron, I guess you know why we are here." Squall said.

"Yes I know. It has been over fourteen years ago you last where there so you better have a nice bouquet with you, or else she might get angry at you and you don't want that." Edea said with a smirk. "I haven't let any of the children to play around that spot out of respect."

"Thank you Matron." Squall said grateful

The father and daughter walked towards the flower field.

("I can't believe it. I have seen this place before.") Luna thought as she saw the big flower field.

"Here it is" Squall said as he looked out over the field where he and Rinoa had made that promise just twenty years earlier.

"Dad, I have seen this place before...in my dreams about mom." Luna said a bit awkward. "I usually meet her over there where the big stone. What is that stone by the way?"

"Why don't you go ahead and take a look? I am going to take Edea's advice and make a bouquet of wildflowers."

Luna started to walk towards the place where the stone stood with heavy steps and what she saw startled her. She fell down on knees in front of the stone and with trembling fingers she touched the inscriptions.

"M-mom. Is that you? What...have I turned you into? I...I am so sorry." She said with tears in her eyes. ("Is this all that is left of you in this world? Just a cold stone in the middle of a flower field?...What have I done?")

The inscriptions of the stone read.

Rinoa Leonhart Heartily

*5021 +5044

Beloved Mother

Loved Wife

Dear Friend

"I am sorry Angel that I haven't visited you before, but as you know after those six years we got together that the job as Commander take pretty much time." Squall said as he knelled down beside his daughter. "But just as we promised we will meet here."

"This...this is mom's grave...right?" Luna said with crumbling voice.

"Yes it is. You shall know that your mother was very proud of you Luna."

"She was? Even if I caused her death?" Luna asked as she wiped away some tears.

"She was, and I am going to tell you something about the past. Two years before you was born, she got injured during a mission. The injuries healed, but her womb had gotten damaged." Squall said. "They told her that she would never be able to have any more children and it crushed her deeply."

"Of course we already had Raine and Julia, but we wanted a third child so we started trying. She got pregnant just three months later and our happiness knew no bounds, but just a week later she had a miscarriage. She did her best to cover her grief, but I knew how hard it took her. Just two months later she became pregnant again, but even this time it ended in miscarriage after just a week."

"She got really depressed. But we kept trying and finally she became pregnant a third time. We really prayed that it would work this time."

"The big day came and she went into labors." Squall continued as Luna listened carefully. "But during the delivery things got out of hand. The wound had reopened and the child was in pretty bad condition to. She had the choice as she lie there, to save herself or the child."

"You mean she knew that either she or I was going to die?" Luna asked thoughtfully. "She chose me over herself."

"Yes, she had to make a fast decision for the sorceress powers. I have never seen her more happy than when she had the chance to hold you and your eyes met for the first time, the child we had fought so hard to get and that we had longed for so badly."

"The only regret she had was that she never would see you and your sisters grow up and become the wonderful young women you are today. Your mother died with a smile on her lips." Squall said as wiped away a stray tear. "And even if I look at you as individuals I can see much of your mother in you girls. Julia's stubbornness and cheerfulness and Raine's short temper are things they have inherited from her."

"In you I see her will to fight even when it gets rough, and also her compassion for life. That you like her don't want to hurt anyone more than necessary and put others needs ahead of your own. How you enjoy life and always try to fight on. It was actually you who made me realize that I had to get my acts together to be able to take care of you all. You gave me the strength to carry on."

"Dad, there is something I must tell you." Luna said as a tear trailed down her cheek. "I...I nearly lost my will to fight yesterday. All the joy of life just left me."

"It is understandable. First loosing so many close and den getting violated by the same man twice. It is understandable if you got depressed. "

"It went beyond that.." Luna said as another tear made it down her cheek. "I was seriously planing to just leave everything...to just end the pain for good."

"Luna, what are you saying?" Squall said worried.

"I...I almost... committed suicide yesterday...I had written a good bye note and everything" Luna said as the tears now streamed freely down her cheeks.

"If Keith had come just five minutes later...I would have had slitted my wrists open and we wouldn't sit here and having this conversation right now. It would have been one more funeral pyre instead. " She continued before totally collapsing under the burden of all the feelings that stormed up to the surface at once."I am sorry I put you all trough so much grief. I am sorry that you always have to worry about me. I am so sorry, please forgive me."

"You have nothing that needs to be forgiven. It is those damn bullies that need to ask for forgiveness, not you." Squall said soothing with trembling voice as he embraced his youngest daughter while his own eyes now shed tears to. "You have nothing to apologize for."

"Thanks daddy. I needed to hear that. To hear that I am not a totally disappointment for you for being so weak." Luna said between the sobs as she leaned against her fathers shoulder. ("The tears won't stop, but I don't care. It just feels so good to just let everything come out. To just get rid of two years of bunked up feelings and pain.")

"You have never been a disappointment in any way sweetheart. I couldn't have been more proud of you than I am. You are the strongest person I know for putting up with this kind of treatment for so long."

There they sat, father and daughter crying in each others arms in front of the tombstone and they could swear that they felt like someone were watching them with a smile on her lips.

Raine and Julia along with their friends stepped of the train in Deling City

"Okay, "where do we go first? Julia said.

"Let's go to the shopping district first." Raine said. "There are a few things that we need to resupply and I am going to get my weapons sharpened. One of them got quite dull when I threw it at Ewan the other day."

"You do that while I and Tessa take a look at the dresses." Julia said. "You better take Keith with you, because it might get dangerous if a girl like you walk on your own."

"Don't worry about me. I can take care of myself." Raine smirked.

"Who said that it was you I worried about?" Julia returned the smirk. "I am more worried for the poor bastard that may try to attack you. See ya later."

"See you later." Raine said as she walked towards the junk shop.

She walked into the junk shop and had just handed over the butterfly swords as someone was heard shouting in delight as a blond girl in a Garden uniform around the same age came walking towards her.

"Julia I can't believe it is you. It is two years since we last met"

"Uh hi Jane. Nice to see you again, but I think you confuses me with my sister. Usually it is just instructor Trepe Almasy who do that." Raine said with a smirk. ("Who could think that we would bump into her here? Julia is going to get trilled of seeing her.")

"Wrench? Is that you? I thought you were dead. You were so sick.

.Jane said surprised before throwing her arms around Raine in a tight hug yelling."Oh, I am so happy that you are still alive."

"You...strangle...me." Raine said in a hoarse voice as she gasped for air.

"Ooops , sorry he he. I was just so happy." Jane said as she released Raine from her anaconda hug. " But how? They had even stopped the chemotherapy because it didn't help and neither did the marrow transplant from Julia. She were just crying her eyes out over you."

"Yeah I know, but Luna didn't accept that I was going to die so she healed me."

"Yeah, I am glad that she did. By the way, I am going to transfer back to Balamb Garden today. So then we can go on the Garden festival together next week just like old times. We can go me, Julia, you, Tessa and Chris and see your little sister's performance just like we did back then."

"Well, Luna doesn't make any more performances. Actually she usually stays in her dorm studying every time something fun is going on." Raine said with a sigh. "This is the third Garden festival she is going to miss because she is trying to avoid the others as much as possible. Especially after the events that occurred at the Garden festival right after you had left."

"Why? I thought she loved to sing and that is usually one of the highlights during the festival." Jane said.

"She still does love to sing, but things have gotten a bit complicated for her." Raine said. "When she saved me, she also revealed her powers as a sorceress."

"Oh shit. My mom have told me what might happen if you get caught as a sorceress."

"Yeah, she have had it rough since then. They take every opportunity to hurt her. They even got her kitten killed." Raine said as she got her weapons back. "Come, I bet Julia is dying to see you."

In the fashion store Julia and Tessa were trying different outfits while Chris and Keith just waited as Raine and Jane came walking in.

"Julia, you wont believe who I met inside the junk shop." Raine said with a bright smile.("Somehow Jane have always been quite extra fond of Julia. I wonder why.")

"As it sounds on your voice, it must be either someone you have beaten up that deserved it or it would be..." Julia said as she walked out from the dressing room just to get stunned of what she saw. "Jane, is that you?"

"Yeah, I am going to transfer back to Balamb garden from Trabia today." Jane said as her energetic green eyes softened when she saw Julia.

("Oh Hyne, I haven't seen her in quite long time. I have longed to see you for so long, and know I don't know what to do.") Julia thought as she looked at her old friend.

"Julia, Julia." She could hear as she finally snapped out of her thoughts.

"Uh, yes Raine. What is it?" Julia said as she snapped out from her thoughts.

"We were talking about where we should eat." Raine said. "We could visit grandpa Fury when we are here."

"That sounds like a great idea." Tessa said.

They started to walk towards the Caraway Mansion and when they stepped up at the door and rang the bell they got escorted by a butler to the living room where their grandfather greeted them..

"Hi girls, nice to see you all again" Fury greeted them "And it has been a while since I saw you Jane. How have you been?"

"I am just fine. I have helped mom a bit so she could recover from the injuries she got, but now I can transfer back to Balamb Garden."

"I am glad to hear." Fury said before turning to Keith. "And who are you my young man?"

"I am Keith Cornwall sir. I am classmate with Luna and well also her knight."

"I am glad to hear that my youngest grandchild has gotten someone who cares for her." Fury said as he shook hand with Keith.

"Thank you sir."

"Okay let me invite you all to dinner and I hope that you can stay for the night" Fury said with a smile. "After all isn't it to often my grandchildren come to visit."

"Yeah, but we are one person short." Raine said as they took place around the dinner table.

"Yes, you are right" He said as he looked at the youths. "So where is the little songbird then?"

"Good that you are already sitting down when we tell you." Julia said a bit awkward. "She had another major brake down yesterday. Thanks to the other knuckleheads...she blames herself for moms death."

"What? Do you mean that they use my little Rinoa to hurt her?" Fury nearly yelled out as he slammed his fist into the table.

"Geez, calm down grandpa before you get a heart attack." Raine said as she nearly jumped up from her chair. ("And they say I have short temper.")

"Yes, she was really depressed. Her best friend died in the assault in Dollet." Julia said while shaking her head in sorrow. "And if it wasn't enough she nearly got raped."

"So now dad is showing her something down in Centra." Raine said.

"Then she at least is safe." Fury said as the food got served.

"But your boyfriend Ewan must have helped with finding the perpetrator?" Jane asked.

"That shit head is dead next time I see him." Raine spat out as he eyes turned dark. "It is he who beat her up and almost raped her."

"I guess that she must have been deeply depressed then." Jane said a little shaken. "I never thought Evan could do something like that."

"Yeah, she was really depressed. We were really worried about her., but she seemed pretty okay at the funerals strange enough." Julia said "Did something happen when you went to get her?"

"Well I don't know if I should say this but ...when I were going to get her for the funeral for her friend she had a real bad breakdown...She was just trying to commit suicide."

"SHE ALMOST DID WHAT?" The twins said as they flew up from their chairs.

"I think she going to to slit her wrists with her gunblade. It was pure luck I came in time and managed to talk with her or else it would have gone very bad." Keith said. "Wish reminds me that I have to talk with the janitor about replacing her window because it broke when she threw her gunblade trough it."

"So it was then you told her that you liked her." Julia said.

"Yeah. I finally told her my feelings for her back then."

"I hear you have done a pretty good as a knight by supporting her." Jane said. "I can see the same affection and determination in your eyes when you speak about her as I see in my dad's when she looks at mom."

"Are your mom a sorceress to?" Keith asked a bit surprised.

"Yes, it is thanks to her that I and the twins met because our mothers were friends and worked to clean up the picture of sorceresses and show the world that everyone isn't crazy for world domination." Jane said "How come that you don't have problems with Luna being one? I mean you are an Estharian, and it is common knowledge that Estharians aren't to fond of sorceresses since Adel's time."

"My parents have taught me and my younger brother and sister to look beyond things like that and I found her both cute and kind."

"So you have siblings?" Raine asked.

"Yeah, but I almost lost two them just a few days ago when a behemoth almost stomped them to the ground."

"You mean? Don't tell me it was your siblings that Luna saved, was it?" Julia exclaimed.

"Something like that." He said with a sly smile and continued to eat.

Squall stood inside the living room inside the old orphanage talking with Edea while he looked out trough the window at his daughter who sat down at the beach.

"She looks so at peace, so innocent when she is sitting there. You could never guess the hardships she has gone trough by just looking at her now." Squall said with a deep sigh. "It is almost a shame that we are teaching her up to become a soldier."

"Have you ever thought about asking her what she want?" Edea said.

"I have thought about it many times. I just don't know how I shall ask her about it."

"Take this opportunity to talk with her. I have already told the children along with Cid to make two more beds and two plates more at the dinner table, because it is getting a bit late for you to fly back now."

"Thanks Matron, I am going to take your advice." Squall said as he walked out trough the door.

Luna sat down by the beach looking how the waves broke against the cliffs as she sang her feelings out.

Lyrics

"I have felt so lonely, even with people all around me"

"So many tears have been shed, in agony and pain"

"So many nights I have feared the coming day"

"With so much burden in my heart"

"Almost crushing me"

"I lost sight of happiness and love "

"But now things are going to change, nothing will stand in my way."

"Now I am strong enough to stand on my own"

"I am no more afraid"

"I am finally free"

"I am finally free"

End

When she had stopped singing she suddenly heard some small clappering hands and as she turned she saw that all the children that lived in the orphanage had heard her sing. A bit embarrassed she stood up and made an elegant curtsy at her audience. "Eh thank you."

"Yoo sing real nice." A little boy said.

"Yeah yoo sing better than Matwyn and she sings good." A girl said.

"Aw you guys are so sweet." Luna said as she knelled down by the children. ("These children are so nice to me. I am almost chocked.")

"Miss Luna? Is it twue that yoo are a sowcewess?" One boy suddenly asked and Luna felt her body freeze for a moment.

"Eh yeah, that is true." Luna answered a bit unsure of what to expect. ("I can't just lie to a child, can I?")

"I told you it is her Matwyn tells stories about. She is so cool." The boy said to his playmates before they ran away to play.

("What? No screams in terror or anything?") Luna thought a bit confused as she looked in the direction the kids ran of to.

"Seems like you have gotten your own little fan club." A voice was heard behind her. "But what can you expect with a voice and a song like that? It was really beautiful."

"Oh dad, I didn't hear you coming." Luna said still a bit embarrassed.. "Yeah, seems like it. It feels good to tell someone without everything ends in panic."

"Matron have taught them pretty well that all sorceresses aren't bad ones." Squall said as he walked up to her.

"Yeah, she have done a good job with them." Luna said. "If just more people were as open minded as these children.."

"There is one thing I want you to know." Squall said. "What ever you decide to do in life I and your sisters will stand behind you, and where ever she is your mother to will stand behind you to. If you don't want to become a SeeD don't feel that you have to just because I am one. It is not a glamorous life exactly, constantly risking your life and sometimes you even have to take lives.

"It is your life and with that voice you have you can become a songstress just like your grandmother if you want to, or becoming a doctor with your caring attitude."

"Thanks dad I really appreciate your support." Luna said as she looked out over the sea again. "But I feel that I want to protect people if I can so the situation in Dollet never will repeat. I know it may sound a bit naive and I know I can't save everybody, but if I can save just one life I have at least made a tragedy a little less tragic. If I ever have to kill sometime, I hope it will be to protect others that deserves protection."

"Even if you look like me, you think like your mother." He said as he looked into his daughter's eyes with a gentle smile. "I am sorry that my work takes so much time so I don't have to much time over for you girls."

"It is okay. You always makes up for it big when you have time. I still have that teddybear you gave me when I had the chicken pox and it itched like hell. That teddybear have given me comfort many times these last two years."

"I am glad to hear that you still have it, but I think you now have something better to comfort you." Squall said with a smirk.

"Yeah, you could say that." Luna answered with some red taints on her cheeks. "He has been very sweet to wards me and really given me his support."

"I am glad to hear that. He is a good boy and I hope he will stand behind you when you need him."

"I trust him that much. He have defended me a couple of times already." Luna said."I have already told him about both the scars and what happened to Moonbeam. It is also he who saved me from myself when he confessed that he loved me."

"And for that I am forever grateful." Squall said. "Come, Matron want us to stay over the night and has invited us for supper."

"Sounds good, I am nearly starving."

At the Caraway Mansion everyone walked to their respective guest room for the night and Julia stood dressed in her pajamas in front of the mirror while brushing her hair.

("This day was intended to be a calm day but turned out a bit crazy for me since we bumped into Jane.")

("Sure we haven't met each other for about two years, but why can't I stop thinking about her?")

Her thoughts got disturbed by a knock on the door.

"Julia, can I talk with you?" Jane asked from the other side of the door. "There is a problem I need your help with."

"Well sure. What are friends for?" Julia said as she opened the door as Jane walked in.

"You see, there is someone I have liked for quite long time, but I haven't seen that person in some time now. I am afraid that I might ruin my friendship with that person if I reveal my feelings. What should I do?" Jane said a bit unsure.

"I just say go for it. It would be his loss if he don't want you. And as crazy as you are sometimes I am surprised you haven't done it already." Julia said. "He would be a completely fool if he turned you down."

"You mean I should just walk up to the person and show what I feel?"

"Yeah, that is what I think. So who is the lucky gu...mfh?" Julia said just as Jane fast as lightning pressed her lips against hers. ("What the...What did...just happen?")

The kiss lasted for nearly a minute and Julia's eyes grew nearly into the size of dinner plates as thoughts spun in her head and she felt pretty confused.

("Why is this feeling so wrong, but so good at the same time?")

Their lips parted and Jane looked into Julia's usually soft chocolate eyes and noticed her chocked expression.

"You didn't like it?" Jane asked awkwardly.

"Uh uh. No, it felt pretty good. I just got caught a bit of guard." Julia said as her chocked expression changed into a shy smile smile as she let her fingers gently trail along her lips. ("I knew I missed her, but did I really had these feelings for her? Can this be the reason to why I never have found any boys that I found attractive enough? That boys simply isn't my thing?")

"So you don't feel disgusted or anything?"

"No, not at all." Julia said still with a shy smile. "I kinda...liked it."

"It hasn't gone one day since our parting without me wondering what you were doing." Jane said as her eyes brightened. "I have loved you for quite some time now."

"I have longed for the day we would meet again, but it is first now I know why." Julia said as she stroke Jane's cheek with her hand. "I wonder how I could be so blind."

"It is me to blame for that. I hided my feelings because you needed a friend to support you, and you had enough on your mind back then to cope with a dying sister." Jane said as she once again looked into those chocolate eyes that now had their usual peace in them. "I simply didn't want to be in the way for you to spend the last days Raine had together with her.."

"I thank you for that." Julia said as she looked back into those green eyes her friend had and they kissed once again.

I am going to upgrade this to a M class story according for some things that will happen later. As you may have noticed I have thrown in some yuri to and I hope that the kiss Jane gave Julia came as a surprise and that at least somebody almost fell of your chair. I felt I had to do something to make Julia more visible, and just wait and see how Raine will react. Reviews are welcome.


	8. Sisterly Bonds On The Test

Hi again. I hope you liked the last chapter. This chapter will be a little bit angst and some of you are going to think that Raine being a total bitch, but her actions will be explained later so don't be to hard on her. I also want to show that these sisters aren't above the usual fights that siblings have. Also Luna has toughen up a bit.

Chapter 8: Sisterly Bonds On The Test

(Friday August 13th)

The next morning Julia woke up and found Jane awake looking at her with a soft smile on her lips.

"Good morning sunshine." Jane said. "Slept well?"

"Yeah, especially when I get to wake up beside you." Julia answered as they shared a kiss.

"We better get up. It is soon breakfast." Jane said after their lips parted.

"Yeah, probably. Let's see if we can get our underwear down from the ceiling first." Julia said as she looked up in the ceiling where two pair of panties hung from the chandelier. "It sure got wild. Hope no one heard us."

"Just let them I say. And beside, we weren't that loud." Jane said smiling

A few minutes later Julia and Jane came down into the dining hall hand in hand and took the chairs next to each other.

"You two look happy today." Tessa said. "Is there something special that have happened?"

"You could say that. We have found out that we both finally have gained someone to love." Julia said with a smile.

"Who?" Raine asked curious.

"Last night I and Julia found out that we have feelings for each other." Jane said.

"I am happy for you." Tessa said and both Keith and Chris gave a approving look, even if they all were quite surprised.

"Well, you are certainly your mother's daughter and doing things your own way." Fury said, even he quite surprised but smiling.

But Raine just looked chocked at her sister and then flew up from her seat and walked away fast with loud steps.

"Raine wait." Julia said as she ran after Raine.

"Please can someone tell me what the hell is going on?" Raine said angry as she turned around and faced her sister when they came out in the hallway.

"Um you see. We have always wondered how come that I who are the more feminine of us still am single while you have had a boyfriend, even if it ended quite bad." Julia said awkward. "I think I have found out why."

"So you mean that you and Jane are?"

"Yeah. Are you okay with that?" Julia said pleading. "Please don't make me choose between you and the one I love. You have done that and know how hard it is."

"I don't know. I have to think and melt it. I am sorry...but right now I don't think I can." Raine said as she walked away leaving a teary Julia in the corridor. ("I...I don't know why I feel so upset about it. I feel that I rather would be happy for her but I just can't. I just can't help but to feel so damn betrayed.")

"Julia, how did Raine take it?" Jane said as she came walking up to Julia.

"Not to good." Julia sniffed.

"She will come to her senses. I am sure of it." Jane said as she hugged Julia. "The train back is departing soon, so we must get going."

They boarded the train back to Dollet, but the mood in the cabin were quite low.

"Oh boy, if this mood gets any cheerier soon we have the proper mood to hold a funeral."Chris finally said in a try to ease the mood a bit.

"I will go and watch the view." Raine said as she rose up.

"What have happened between you two?" Tessa asked

"Nothing." Raine said still with a stern voice.

"Why are you so grumpy and Julia almost in tears then? It I almost like when you to had a fight when we were small." Tessa pushed.

"It is nothing." Raine snapped in a manner that didn't invite further attempts as she walked out.

"Julia, why is Wrench acting so strange?" Tessa asked.

"Well, as you might guessed she didn't take it to well that I turned out to be a lesbian."

At the orphanage Luna sat on the stairs making a wreath of flowers she had plucked out in the flower field while watching the children play. Suddenly she noticed a girl around seven sitting for herself with something in her hand just a few meters from the others.

"What is it with the girl over there?" She asked one of the children.

"That's Lisa." The boy answered. "She have been here for a month. She never want to play with us. She won't even talk to Matwyn."

"Let's see if I can help her. "She lay down the wreath and walked to the girl.

"Are you okay?" Luna asked

"Just leave me alone. I don't want to talk about it."

"Why are you sad? Have someone teased you?"

"No." The girl said as she clenched the thing she had in her hand hard.

"Then what is it?" Luna said in a soft voice as she lay her hand on the girl's shoulder. "What do you have in your hand?"

"My parents are dead. This thing killed them." She said as she held up a gun shell.

"I see. My mom is dead to." Luna said. "She died when I was born so I don't have any memories of her. But I bet you have plenty of wonderful memories of your parents."

"Yeah I have." The girl said as the tears finally ran down her cheeks. " I...I miss them so much. And they kidnapped my sister and then burned down our house."

"Yeah, I can imagine it must be tough. But sometime you have to let them go and move on." Luna said as she took the gun shell in her hand and concentrated. "I think they don't want you to grieve forever. So let those bad memories go away and get replaced with happy memories in the same way, this gun shell becomes something beautiful."

She opened her hand and a butterfly flew out.

"Awesome." The girl said in amazement.

"Even if it is good to let your emotions out instead of keeping them in, in the end we must stop crying and move on." Luna said with a gentle smile. "The past is in the past and the future is awaiting. Let us make the best of it. You have plenty of friends here who want you to play with them and your family will always watch over you."

"Thank you Luna. I feel much better now."

"I am glad I could help."

"A valuable advice you gave there." Squall said from where he stood right behind her.

"Yeah, and it is one that I need to start following myself."

"Are you ready to return?" Squall asked concerned.

"Yes, as soon I have paid my respect to mom." She said as she picked up the wreath in her hand.

She walked to the tombstone and lie down the wreath and touched the stone one last time with her fingers while whispering. "Thank you mom for my life. With this new knowledge about my birth I will not let them defile your sacrifice by letting them hurt me trough you ever again. Even if I never get to know you I love you deeply for all you have done for me and my sisters. I will come back someday and visit you again."

She then turned to her father. "Now I am ready."

"Luna, there is something both me and your sister want you to have." Squall said as he pulled out a small box and handed over to her.

She took the box and opened it and gasped. Inside it lie two rings on a necklace. "They are beautiful."

"They were your mother's. The wedding ring belonged to her and the one with Griever is a ring that your mother got from me and I got it from my mother. They were her most cherished possessions. She held them as an even greater symbol of our love than our wedding rings." Squall said with a smile as he thought about the time they had. "And you and your sisters are the result of that love. We thought that with all that have happened that you could find some sort of comfort with having at least a piece of your mother with you."

"Thanks again dad." Luna said as she took the necklace and snapped it on.

"We thought you had more use of them to find strength when it get rough and as a reminder of what you and your sisters meant to her."

"I will. In honor of her and for my own sake I am not going to let them use me as a scapegoat and punch bag anymore."

"It makes me happy to hear that." Squall said with a smile.

They boarded the Ragnarok and started their journey back to Garden and in about six hours later they landed. But when they disembarked from the Ragnarok they saw no one.

"I am going to see if I can find Raine and Julia." Luna said.

"You do that. I am going to catch up with some work." Squall said "See you later."

"See you later dad." Luna said as she walked away. ("I should start with looking at their dorm.")

On her way there she met Keith.

"Hi Angeleye. How was the trip?"

"It was very well needed. I got some things sorted out and feeling much better. Even if I missed you." Luna said as they shared a small kiss. "So right now I am going to see my sisters, I bet they are in their dorm."

"Well, I would keep some distance from there right now if I were you."

"Let me guess, Raine is in a bad mood." Luna said. "I have known her my whole life so I know how to deal with her. Who is the poor bastard to be targeted for her wrath this time?"

"Julia." Keith said in an uncomfortable tone. "And she is in a really bad mood."

"What? I can't believe it. What have happened?" Luna exclaimed chocked. ("Sure they have had their disagreements, but it sounds pretty serious this time.")

"I think it would be better if Julia explained everything for you." Keith said. "I will follow you there."

When they started to get close they could hear some pleading.

"But Raine, can't we just talk about it?"

"I don't want to." Raine said as she walked out from their dorm with Julia in tow. "What is there to talk about?"

"Julia, what is happening?" Luna asked confused.

"We are just having a small disagreement, that is all." Julia said as she tried to fight back the tears.

"Hi Luna. Jane said as she to walked out from the twins dorm. "You have grown pretty much since we last saw each other."

"Yeah, good to see you too Jane. How are your mom and dad?"

"They are just fine. Mom have recovered from her injuries and is now working again as an instructor in sorceress history."Jane said. "I heard what have happened to you. It pains me that you get that kind of treatment around here."

"How was the trip?" Julia asked.

"It was very needed." Luna said as she drew a deep breath. "I got the possibility to see mom...or at least what is left of her."

"You have visited mom's grave?" Julia asked.

"Yeah, and dad and I got the possibility to talk and now I no longer feel any guilt over mom's death. Instead I am grateful for hat she did. So care to fill me in what have happened around here?"

"Well, we took a trip yesterday to Deling City where we met up with Jane who now have transferred back here. Then we visited grandpa who invited us for dinner and then asked us to stay the night." Julia said before she made a pause. ("I hope Luna take it better than Raine did.")

"And what happened then." Luna asked curious.

"You see, before we went to bed Jane came into my room and wanted to talk and before we knew it we found out that we had feelings for each other...Romantic feelings." Julia said as she and Jane gave each other a look of affection.

"I...I am happy for you, surprised but happy." Luna said quite shocked but with a smile. "Aw it feels so good that you finally have found love."

"Thanks lil' sis. If only Raine had taken it as well as you did." Julia sighted as she nearly lost the fight against the tears. "She won't even talk to me now."

"I wonder why. I mean she gets really angry at those who is treating me bad because I am different, so why would she act like that towards you? " Luna said. "I am going to talk with her."

"No, you have much as it is on your mind than to have to bother with our problems." Julia said

"We are sisters, so your problems are my problems." Luna said. "And that is the least I can do to repay every time you and Raine have been there for me. I think she might listen to me."

"And if she doesn't?"

"Then I am going to turn all her clothes into dresses." Luna said jokingly. "See you later."

Raine stood by the railing in the quad looking out over the world. ("Why can't I just let it go? Here finally my sister finds love and I start acting like a total ass.")

("It is just that...did she enjoy our night chats or was she just pretending just to not hurt me?")

"Hi, I knew I would find you here. You are always here when you need to think. Especially this day of the year." Luna said as she walked in.

"Yeah, the Friday before the Garden festival. This day two years ago was the day you cured my leukemia...and became an outcast." Raine said as she leaned against the railing the railing. "On Monday this years Garden festival launch and everyone is out having fun for a whole week...except you. I guess that thanks to me you are going to be in your dorm studying again."

"Yeah maybe, but I don't regret it one bit, because my family is the most important thing I have." Luna said as she looked out over the world to.

"That is why it breaks my heart to see you two fighting. I am not blaming you or anything but why do you take it so hard that Julia have fallen in love with another girl?"

"It...it is...complicated." Raine sighed.

"Then try to explain it for me. I bet it will feel better if you talk about it."

"You see, even if we look quite alike at least according to Quistis, we have always been each others counterparts. Like she is a great chef but is so terrible with flowers that even her plastic flowers wither, while I am pretty good with flowers but a catastrophe in the kitchen."

"Tell me about it. The whole Garden got food poisoning when you helped out in the kitchen last. And as you said did Julia's flowers die nearly before they had time to root themselves."

"Yeah, anyhow the only thing I felt we had in common were all those nights we stayed up in our dorm at and talked about boys. I know it sounds silly, but those times meant a lot to me because then we were at the same level." Raine said as tears emerged in her eyes. "I starts to wonder if it meant anything to her to or if she just played along to make me happy. That what I thought I shared with her were just a lie."

"You feel that you are losing the very thing that held you together. "Luna said understanding. "I don't think it sounds one bit silly at all. Have you talked with Julia about it? Maybe you have more things in common than you think."

"No, I haven't. I just don't know how to say it. You know how hard I have to express feelings other than when I am angry."

"Yeah I know...but as Julia told me after I woke up at the field hospital after Ewan tried to rape me, the longer you wait the harder it will get."

"I will try. But what shall I say? Probably to just simply say I am sorry won't cover up for it, the way I have been acting lately."

"Just speak from your heart. I am sure she will understand." Luna said as she left. "After all she is your twin sister."

Julia and Jane were on their way to the cafeteria to get some lunch.

"Raine got pretty mad. I just don't understand why." Julia said. "I thought she would be happy for us."

"It must be something else that lies behind because I can't believe Raine to be homophobic." Jane said. "At least Luna took it well."

"Yeah, but I wonder how dad will take it. After Raine's reaction I am afraid that he will react in a similar way."

"Well now is your chance."

"Hi Julia, nice to see you Jane. It has been a while. I am glad your mother recovered." Squall said as he entered the cafeteria.

"Thank you Commander Leonhart. I shall send her your regards next time I talk to her.

"Sounds good. Where do you have your sisters Julia?"

"Well...things are a bit rocky between me and Raine right now. Luna is talking with her right now." Julia said. "Dad, there is one thing I need to talk with you about."

"What is it then. You know you can come to me whatever it is." Squall said.

"I leave you two alone to talk about it." Jane said and walked to the table Chris and Tessa sat by.

"Okay, it sounds serious." Squall said looking at his daughter.

"It kinda is. You see, I have fallen in love with someone and I don't know how well you will react when you get to know who."

"And who is it then?"

"Um well um." Julia said but then she saw something that terrified her pretty much. ("No, not yet. Not yet. I haven't told him yet.")

Jane climbed up on a table and then yelled out over the cafeteria. "HELLO EVERYBODY. DO YOU ALL REMEMBER ME, JANE ANDERSON ? I HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO MAKE."

"I LOVE JULIA LEONHART WITH ALL MY HEART AND THOSE WHO WILL TRY TO HURT HER OR HER FAMILY WILL BE SORRY."

("Oh Hyne, please let me die here and now.") Julia thought as she looked down in the floor blushing out of embarrassment as she placed her right hand against her forehead as she felt everybody's eyes at her.

"Does this mean what I think that you are in love with another girl...and that is Jane?" Squall asked a bit uncomfortable.

"Uhu. That is why me and Raine are having a fight right now. She didn't take it too well." Julia said still pretty embarrassed as she now looked at her father. "Are you okay with it?"

"Have you thought everything trough?" Squall asked a bit reluctant. "I mean so you really know that you love her?"

"Yes I have, and this is one of those things I am absolutely certain of." Julia said.

"Then I don't see any problems with it." Squall said concerned. "I just want you girls to be happy."

"Thanks dad." Julia sad as she gave him a hug. "I am so glad you accept it."

"Anytime pumpkin."

"Dad, that was my my pet name when I was little. I am grown up now." Julia scowled a bit embarrassed.

"In my eyes you girls never will grow up." Squall said with a sad smile. "There are times I feel bad for turning you into soldiers. I hope you and Raine didn't become SeeD just to make me proud."

"Maybe at the beginning it was something like that, but now I am one because I want to see the world and help where ever I can. Raine is thinking the same way to." Julia said.

"Then I am at peace. Now go and have fun with your friends."

"See you later dad."

Julia sat down by her friends

"How did he take it?" Jane asked

"He took it pretty well." Julia said. "Even if he got to know about it in a quite different way than I wanted"

"Tee-hee, I thought that you needed some help and decided to tell everybody else at the same time. You aren't mad at me, are you?"

"Maybe a little but that is what I like most about you. You just do things without the need of thinking every damn thing trough." Julia said smiling. "I heard that we are done with our duties in Dollet and are leaving. That just we leave some SeeD as a protection but else leave the refugee camp in their hands. Now we are heading towards Trabia."

Luna had just left Raine and were on her way back to her dorm together with Keith and when they reached it she collected the notes as usual, but then saw something strange. Instead of the ordinary bag, she found a shoe box with the words _To the bloodthirsty witchwhore _written on it.

"What is it this time they have done?...Seems like they have found a knew nickname for me to." She sighed as she picked up the box and opened it. Suddenly with a terrified scream she threw away the box and crouched up against the wall.

"Luna, what happened?" Keith asked her concerned and worried.

"This time they went to far." She said with tears in her eyes and her voice trembling of anger. "This time they went way to far. "

Keith walked to the shoe box and what he saw inside it startled him. Inside the box lie a dead kitten.

"Who can do a such cruel prank?" Keith said shocked.

"I think I know who is the responsible one." Luna said as she shook of anger. "I am sure it is Kim who is taking her revenge for her brother. She thought it was me they should expel instead"

Luna walked as fast as she could to the cafeteria with Keith in tow and just as she came in she saw Kim and her friends standing there talking.

"YOU BITCH." She screamed as she punched Kim straight in the face.

The noise that normally resided inside the cafeteria during the lunchtime disappeared and got replaced by a total silence as everyone looked at Luna who stood there shaking of anger.

"Ow my noose. What the fuck is wrong with you?" Kim shouted angry as blood dripped from her noose. "You broke it."

"I know it is you who is behind it. That was way to far pushed."

"I see the little witchwhore found our little gift. Did you like it?" Kim said mockingly while she tended to her bloody noose. "We just thought you maybe wanted some blood after all these years, and you failed to get any both when Dollet got attacked and when you tried to kill my brother. So did the little witchwhore like it?"

Those words now triggered something in Luna's mind and she took a firm grip in Kim's collar and pressed her up against the wall hard.

"First, don't try to blame things on me that I haven't even done. I wasn't even near Dollet when it got attacked." Luna said as she removed the bandage in her face. "I received this wound while I was trying to help people...when I was trying save May while you was bitching over that you had to work under me. And if you hadn't pushed her into that prank she would never have left and still have been alive, so I wonder who has the most blood on their hands."

"Second, my mother loved me enough to save my life instead of her own, so don't even dare to defile her sacrifice. I wonder if your own mother would do the same."

"Third, your damn brother tried to rape me so I had to either defend myself because no one else wanted to help me despite that I screamed for help, or let him have his way with me. So I might be a witch but I am not a whore so don't even dare call me that again."

"And fourth, there is one thing that you torment me but when you start to kill someone's pet just for the sake of it it has gone to far. So please if you can't like me, you can at least leave me alone. That is all I ask."

"Hey hey, we didn't kill it. The cat was already dead when we found it in the ruins." Amanda said.

"It is still damn disrespectful towards both the kitten and the owner. I should know after what happened to Moonbeam. Thanks to some of you I don't even have a grave to mourn her by." Luna said as tears of pure anger came from her eyes. "She was my everything and you took even her away from me."

"I as going to have some dinner but I think I just lost my appetite just by the sight of your sorry asses." Luna said as she released the grip on Kim and started to walk towards the exit. "And by the way, you can tell your sorry excuse for a brother that he owes me two white T-shirts that he ruined."

("Phew, that was tough to uphold that front, but I did it.") Luna thought as she leaned against the wall before slumping down on the floor as fast as she came out from the cafeteria.

"Luna, that was very brave of you to do that. To stand up against them like that." Keith said caring.

"The thing is that I were just plain pissed." Luna said as she rested.

"Luna, you surprised all of us in there." Jane said said in delight as she and the others came running. "I even thought that some of them nearly fell of their chairs."

"Of course they must have been pretty shocked to see the Garden's most calm person get an outburst like that." Julia said. "Way to go sis. And you who thought that you were to weak to protect yourself."

"Yeah, but it took it's toll on me to uphold." Luna said. "But hopefully I at least gained a little bit of respect. That I showed that they no longer can treat me like crap."

"You sure did." They heard Squall say as he, Quistis and Seifer came walking. "They are still pretty chocked in there."

"Zell and Selphie is still staring and tries to understand what just happened while Irvine and Amie is trying to explain it.." Seifer said chuckling. "You should have seen Chicken wuss face. He choked that hot dog pretty good. Oh I wish I had a camera to capture his expression."

" I guess I violated the Garden codes when I punched Kim in the face, even if it felt pretty good." Luna said tiredly. "I guess I will get disciplinary measures for that. Am I right?"

"No, the Garden code states that you are allowed to defend yourself and those cadets put you in a such situation by provoking you." Quistis said. "We are just glad you finally start to confront them and even seeking them up before they get to you instead. That you fight instead of trying to hide. It is enough your father did that before."

"Yeah, and it is much better that you turn your anger towards those who made you angry instead of towards yourself." Julia said as she knelled down beside her. "Keith told us what almost happened. That you almost committed suicide."

"I am sorry I put you all trough that. They had succeeded to make me hate myself to that degree I thought I didn't deserve to live, but that thing is dealt with now. I will never let them get to me like that again." Luna said as she rose up. "If it is okay I would appreciate if I could go to my room and rest a bit so."

"Of course sweetie." Squall said "I have already seen to that your window have gotten replaced and replaced the mirror."

"Thanks dad." Luna said as she and Keith walked towards the dormitory.

Raine stood by the Quad and let her thoughts drift. ("What shall I say to her? Dammit, I wish it had been the other way round because Julia is more comfortable at talking about her feelings than I am. The only feelings I have easy to show is anger.")

She drew a deep sigh as she began to walk towards the cafeteria. ("Thing won't be better by just standing here. I better go to her and at least try to talk.")

"Raine, you won't believe what has happened." Tessa yelled happily as they met. "She has finally done it, she has finally done it."

"Calm down. Who has done what?" Raine said confused.

"Luna punched Kim straight in the face and then told her of." Tessa said exited. "I even think she broke her nose."

"Everyone inside the cafeteria just sat there with their mouths open. Dad almost choked on his hotdog." Chris said.

"I can't believe it. She finally fights back more seriously." Raine said chocked.

"Yeah, she really surprised all of us." Tessa said.

"Um, you don't know where Julia is do you?" Raine asked a bit reluctant. "I need to talk to her."

"I think she is in your dorm together with Jane."

She walked to their shared dorm but before she walked in she hesitated as she heard the laugh and giggles from inside.

("I...I can't do it. I have to try tomorrow instead") She thought as she walked back to the Quad. ("I can't interrupt their happiness right now."

Inside the twins dorm Julia and Jane sat on the bed and talked.

"They got quite big eyes when your lil' sis hit that girl." Jane said.

"Yeah, but it might gotten a bit much for them. After all your announcement came a bit as a surprise for them to." Julia answered. "I am so glad I have you. Please can you stay over the night with me?"

"Gladly. I gladly stay here." Jane said.

"I am glad I have you by my side Keith" Luna said as they once again shared a kiss. "Good night, see you tomorrow.")

Keith left for his dorm and Luna changed to her pajamas and lay down in her bed. ("Wow, I am getting really sleepy. I better call it a night.")

I hope no one hates Raine for the way she is acting and I hope you like the more confident Luna have gotten. This story have taken a life of it's own. First I thought about three or four chapters but as it looks we are soon up to ten. Then also like some may have already thought about, Dollet and Deling City are in different timezones.


	9. The Outcast Spread Her Wings

Hi sorry for the waiting but I have had a serious case of writers block and my hands full with other things. We are starting to get near the ending. Just to be clear on that. Duwall is Amie's AKA Library girl's maiden name in this story. Also I hope most of you like Luna's more confident attitude.

Chapter 9: The Outcast Spread Her Wings

(Saturday August 14th)

Next morning, Luna and Squall were training in his office.

"You are getting pretty good." Squall said as he blocked a swing from Luna.

"Just to look it from the bright side, I got pretty much training when I trained with the others and had to fight to protect myself from getting injured." Luna said as she dodged a blow from her father, only to get cornered. "But still I am not as good as you are."

"You are fighting better than me when I was in your age. Just remember to see that you have an escape route and avoid corners." Squall said smiling. "How are the others treating you after yesterday? They got pretty surprised when you hit Kim."

"Well I still get glares and mean comment behind my back, but I haven't found any notes by my door or gotten tripped yet."

"It is good to hear that at least some things have gotten better. I think you got at least a little more respect. I heard from Dr Kadowaki that Kim really got a broken nose. Hopefully that will stop her from messing with you anymore and send a warning to the others."

"Yeah, I hope so. It feels good to know that they at least don't think they can treat me like crap anymore." Luna said as she wiped of some sweat from her forehead.

"How does it it feel to fight with the silverwings then?"

"Well I am still not really used to fight with two blades instead of one and the gun parts are slightly more powerful, but they are also quite more balanced. They are great weapons. Of course not as powerful as your Lionheart, but still pretty good." Luna answered as she tried to avoid the essence in the question.

"That wasn't what I meant. How does it feels to fight with your friend's old weapons. After all it is just three days since she died. It must be kind of hard."

"It...is kind of tough at times, but in a way it feels like she is fighting by my side. Like she is with me and helps me swing the blades." Luna said with a deep sigh. "She will always have a special place in my heart. That is why I don't heal the wound in my face. I and to keep that in her honor because I received that just before we regained our friendship.."

"I understand that. You two were friends ever since you were five, so you must have gotten some kind of bond."

"Yes, and she was the only non family if you count out Jane and her family that knew and accepted me as me, even if she knew I was a sorceress." Luna said. "The only reason she betrayed me was because they drove her to it."

"She was so ashamed that she left. She felt she couldn't look me in the eyes after that. And that guilt became her death." Luna sighed as she stroke away a tear. "It was me they were after but it was she who paid the prize. They had no right treating her that way. It feels like I should hate them all for doing that to her...but I just can't... I...I just have had enough of hate. I just want all the hate to stop."

"It is very strong of you to think like that. To reject the hate even if it is the easiest feeling to follow in your position." Squall said."Have you tried to use your powers to enhance your fighting-style anything?"

"No. I don't want to use my powers to hurt people, because then I am no better than sorceresses like Adel and Ultimecia...and the one responsible for May's death." Luna said serious. "And I just know a handful of spells. I have never done any serious efforts to learn more because I have always tried to hide them. When I blasted Evan, my powers took a manifestation of their own out of sheer panic as I lost the control just like when I found out hat I was."

"I am glad it happened that way. Other way I would have killed him." Squall said. "Let us call it a day. Do you have anything special planned for today?"

"First I am going to take a shower. And then Kieth's family is here and he want to introduce me to them. They walked on board along with the rest of the families when we passed Fisherman's Horizon" Luna said. "I am actually quite nervous about it."

"I am sure it will go well. Have fun." Squall said encouraging.

"Thanks dad. See you later."

Julia and Jane woke up and looked at each other.

"I am glad I have you." Julia said as she looked Jane in the eyes.

"I am glad that I have you to." Jane said as she looked back, but then got a serious look in her eyes. "I just feel bad for being the reason that you and Raine is fighting. I can see how deeply it hurts you"

"Don't be. Raine is just going to have to accept it. I am not going to give you up, just because she can't cope with it. I simply love you to much for that."

"So what are we going to do today?" Jane said. "One idea I have is that maybe we should go to the swimming pool down in the basement. Maybe Luna should want to join us to?"

"I don't think so. She is very sensitive about having revealing clothes like bikini or shirts with bare back" Julia said.

"Why? Have they teased her about her skin or something?"Jane asked concerned.

"If that was the case." Julia sighed "She has some nasty scars and burns on her back She received them while she trained with the others. She tries to hide them as good as she can."

"But that is terrible."

"I know, that is why she only trains with dad now." Julia sighed. "And today Evan is coming back briefly because it is the family day. Are your parents here to?"

"No, they aren't. We have spent two whole years together, so we don't feel that need." Jane said as she moved closer to Julia. "I am just glad that I have you by my side."

"Me to. I can lie here all day."

("I wonder if they will like me?") Luna thought as she walked out from the shower and took a towel and started to wipe herself dry. She looked at her reflection in the mirror who had been replaced since she smashed it. ("I wonder if they will accept that their son have fallen in love with a sorceress?")

She then turned and saw the scars that formed a cross on her back along with the leftovers from the burns and quickly looked away with a small tear in her eye as a sting jerked in her chest. ("I don't know what have been the worst thing. The teasing or the loneliness I have felt until I met him. I didn't have a friend around here in my own age after May left. And now she is dead and I am using her weapons.")

("Keith is the first one who have no past connections with me to accept me as me. The first none family who doesn't care about that I am a sorceress except for May and Jane. He saved my life with his love...I don't know what I should do if I lost him now or how I can repay him for all he has done for me.")

She stepped out from her bathroom and dressed herself in her normal outfit except for the jacket and instead of her typical ponytail she plaited her hair into a single braid and ended it with a bow before she walked out from her dorm and headed towards the Quad where everyone's families where.

Keith stood and talked with his parents when he saw her enter the Quad and he started to wave at her with a big smile on his face.

"Mom, dad. There is someone I want you to meet." Keith said.

Luna walked closer to them and stood beside him and he noticed how nervous she was, but she felt a supporting feeling from him by their emotional bond.

"This is Luna, the girl I have fallen in love with and the most kind and caring person I know. Luna this is my parents and grandpa. Those two kids are my siblings." Keith said.

"Nice to meet you." Kieth's mother said politely as she shook her hand.

"Nice to meet you to." Luna greeted back politely.

("Why is he smiling at me? Does he recognize me from when I was in Esthar?") Luna thought as she shook hand with Keith's grandfather before turning to the kids. "Nice to met you to guys."

"Nice to see yoo angel." The boy said.

"Eh-eh. Why are you calling me that." Luna said with a uncomfortable smile

"Because you are one." Keith said. "Okay, let us give you a tour of the Garden so you see how we live here."

"That would be interesting." His father said.

They all walked out in the main hall and they explained each facility and an the end they came to the dormitory.

"Here each cadet share a room with another cadet, while the SeeD members have single rooms." Keith said. "To the left are the boys and to the right are the girls dorms. My dorm is here."

"Where do you have your dorm?" Kieth's mother asked Luna. "Is it nearby?"

"My dorm is a single dorm in the SeeD-wing." Luna said a bit awkward. "You could say my situation is a special case."

Just then a girl and Ewan walked by them.

The girl walked by and pushed Luna so she hit the wall. "Out of my way witch whore."

"Go to hell STD bitch. Yeah, everybody knows how you change bed each night Vanessa.." Luna yelled after her.

Ewan immediately pressed her up against the wall leering as he moved his face so close she could feel his breath. "Oh my, what a dirty mouth the little witch whore have gotten all of sudden. I bet you would love to finish what we started last time. I am already expelled so your dad can't do anything."

"Fuck you." Luna hissed as she kicked him in the groin all she could just as Keith was on his way to help her.

"Ouch, not again." Ewan whined as he fell to the ground.

"That's the only thing you will get from me from now on. I am not going to be your little toy. By the way, I know that you cheated on my sister with that STD-bitch when she was sick so you shall be glad that Raine doesn't know yet." Luna spat at him while he lay on the floor.

"You where in Vanessa's room that night I saved her and I can tell by the sound that came from there that you didn't just talk. You saw me saving my sister when you left her...And by the way, don't bother replacing those clothes you ruined. I don't want anything of you anyway."

Ewan got help up from the floor by Vanessa and with her help limped away while Luna watched after them, but then noticed the look from the others.

("Oh great, now I have made a total ass of myself in front of Keith's family. And here I am trying to make a good expression, but I totally blew it. Great job Luna.") She thought as she rested her forehead against her hand in an attempt to hide the tears that emerged. "I am sorry you all had to see that."

"It's okay, it's okay." Keith said as he gave her a comforting hug as she could feel his support. "I am glad that you still choose to defend yourself instead of just swallow it like you did before."

"Are you alright?" Kieth's mother asked concerned.

"Don't worry. This kind of treatment am I pretty used to. They are just a bit surprised that I finally have started to fight back."

"Why did they act so rude towards you?" Kieth's father wondered.

"Because she is a sorceress." Kieth's grandpa said as he walked forward. "You have chosen a fine knight I say. "

"You are a sorceress? How could you know dad?" Kieth's mother said surprised.

"Because this young lady saved Jason and Jenna a week ago. Have you gotten the token of gratitude I sent with Kieth? Your copy got destroyed when you fled. I hope you don't got a to deep grudge against the Estharian people."

"Don't worry, I am not exactly miss popular around here either as you noticed. Kieth is one of the few that treats me with respect." Luna said. "I am very grateful for the album. You should just know how much it means to me."

"I met her once along with her husband and daughter. Her little daughter was so full of energy."

"Julia Heartily was my grandmother." Luna said.

"Are you little Rinoa's daughter?"

"Yes, I am. My sisters look like mom more than I do."

"You should hear her sing." Keith said. "She has a beautiful voice."

"So where is your mother then? I would love to see her."

"She died fourteen years ago when I was born." Luna said with a small sigh.

"Oh, I am sorry."

"Don't worry. I know mom wouldn't want it that way." Luna said with a smile. "So let's go and get some lunch."

Raine had climbed into Ragnarok's left engine inside the hangar when she heard someone coming.

"Raine, do you have a minute?" Squall said. "Maybe we could take a walk"

"Yeah, wait a minute." Raine said as she crouched out from the engine. "So what is it dad?"

"I have heard that you and Julia are going trough a crisis. Care to give me your version of it?" Squall said as they began to walk trough the corridors."What is it that bothers you then?"

"You see...me and Julia have always been each others opposites. The only thing that I felt we really had in common was our night chats, mostly about boys... And now we don't even have those. I don't know what to say and how to act."

"I know Luna have already talked to you, so I guess she have already told you that you should talk with her. Maybe you will see things that you have in common but never thought about."

"Yeah, maybe...but I don't know how to start" Raine frowned. "I have been acting like an ass, so I would be surprised if she even want to talk with me. How...how can I be so stupid to act like that?"

"You felt hurt. I recognize that from myself when Ellone left" Squall said. "I think that your bond as sisters is stronger than that. She will listen to you if you ask her to."

"Thanks dad."

"Anytime sweetie."

Just then Vanessa showed, up dragging on a limping Ewan.

"What the fuck has happened to you?" Raine chuckled amused. "Sure I kicked hard but I think that you should be quite alright by now."

"That witch whore kicked me recently." Ewan spat

"WHAT? Did Luna kick you in the groin" Raine said surprised while laughing.

"Yes she did." Ewan said with a rather high pitch tone.

"And then she called me STD bitch." Vanessa said unhappily.

"But that is what you are." Raine said smiling. "I pity those who have spent the night with you."

"But your boyfriend didn't mind it." Vanessa said.

"Shut up." Ewan almost screamed. "You are getting us killed.".

"I even comforted him when you were sick."

"Oh dear Hyne." Ewan muttered. "We are dead."

"You did what?" Raine hissed as her eyes turned dark. "Do you mean that you cheated on me when I was dying?"

"Yeah, we did and he loved it." Vanessa said.

"YOU DAMN WHORE." Raine screamed as she punched the girl before turning towards Ewan with fire in her eyes. "And you...are dead."

"Eh, calm down sweetie. I can explain."

"First you beat my sister up, then tries to rape her." Raine said as she unsheathed her butterfly swords and walked towards him. "And now I get to know this."

"Raine." Squall said warily. "Don't do anything stupid now."

"This time he is going to pay." Raine said.

"Eh, you see I was so sad for you and she comforted me and one thing led to another." Ewan said as ha backed only to trip and fall down

"Shut up scumbag. You have played with me far to long now." Raine said as she knelled down just inches from his face and saw the fear in his eyes as she placed her one of her butterfly swords against his throat. "From now on you are more worthless than dog wee for me."

Raine stood up and started to walk back to her father.

"Oh what the hell." She said as she turned and gave Ewan another kick right on the sweets. "You deserves one last."

"Be careful with those." Vanessa pleaded as she ran to Ewan to help him up.

"Happy now?" Squall said an amused smile.

"Much happy." Raine said with a big grin.

"Well then. Hope you will solve your difficulties soon. And don't forget to eat."

"Thanks dad. I wont" Raine said as she walked back to the Ragnarok to finish the works on the engine. ("Something else in common? Like what?")

Luna and the rest walked into the cafeteria.

"Here is the cafeteria where we get our meals. Magic and weapons are prohibited here." Keith said. "We should get a table and something to eat."

They walked up to the counter just as Squall entered.

"Hi dad." Luna said.

"Hi Luna. Having fun? Raine and I just met Ewan and he looked like he was in some sort of pain." Squall said as he gave an amused smile

"Well I am kind of responsible for that." Luna said a bit embarrassed. "He started to taunt me and I got pissed and simply...kicked him."

"I am glad that you stand up for yourself finally." Squall said before turning to the rest. "And you must be Keith's parents I guess. You shall know that your son is a good boy. I am grateful that my daughter have him to relay on."

"So you are Luna's father I guess then." Keith's mother said as she shook hand with him. "Nice to meet you. You have a wonderful daughter"

Then Squalls radio beeped.

"Excuse me but I have to take this call." Squall said apologizing before taking the radio. "Commander Leonhart here."

"Commander, we have sighted unidentified ships."

"Excuse me but I have to go." Squall excused himself as he ran towards the lift.

"What is the situation?" Squall asked Nida as he entered the bridge.

"Three battleships are closing in on us. They might be hostile."

"All SeeD and SeeD cadets to your battle stations, I repeat all SeeD and SeeD cadets to your battle stations." Squall said in the microphone before turning towards Nida. "Better to be ready."

("What? Are we under attack?")

("Is it the other sorceress?")

"Luna, we should be going and change to uniforms." Keith said.

"Yeah, lets go." Luna said and then turned to Keith's family. "You should take shelter among the younger cadets and the other families."

They then ran towards their dorms and then met up with the others at the front gate where all cadets above the age of thirteen were gathering.

Quistis stood and instructed the cadets what their assignment were.

"We have sighted three ships that are heading in our direction and might be hostile so prepare for battle. According to what team you get assigned to you will have duties and according on how well you do it you get your study points either increase or decrease."

"The teams are made up by the last number in your cadet ID with a few exceptions. Everyone with one to four are going to help taking care of the wounded. Your team leader is cadet Perkins and you are working under SeeD member Leonhart and Dr Kadowaki. Follow their orders as good as you can."

"Everyone with the number five to nine is going to secure the food supplies. Your team leader is Terrace and you are working under SeeD member Kinneas. Cadets with a four as your first number are going to help taking care of the junior class men and your families and are going to work under SeeD member Tilmitt Kinneas and Dincht Duwall"

"Everyone with an eight as their first number are going to be in the maintenance and your team leader is cadet Callahan and you will be working under SeeD member Dincht and Leonhart."

"Then we have a special team of those who next year might become SeeD who are going to secure the entrance from the second floor. Those cadets names are McGee, Cornwall Brown, Anderson and your team leader is Leonhart. You are working under me and SeeD-member Almasy"

("What the hell? Why are they so persistent in making me the leader when I don't get along with the others?") Luna thought as she looked at Kim's Amanda's and Tiffany's direction. ("They clearly hate me.")

"What? You are placing me under her command again?" Kim practically screamed at Quistis. "You can't be serious."

"Yeah, why are we going to obey a fucking witch?" Amanda followed as she lay her hand in her guns in her belt.

"This will end in cat-astrophe" Tiffany said with a mocking smirk as Luna felt a sting in her chest at the remark.

"Shut up brats. You must be able to set your private relationship aside in a battlefield if you are going to survive." Seifer who stood behind his blond wife said. "When the Commander became a SeeD I was his superior and we were also rivals, but he followed my orders and see where that got him. So stop whining or else I will give you more to think about than just a broken nose or a black eye by giving you three weeks of latrine duty, wish for you Tiffany will result in total five weeks. And on top of that a real ass whooping"

After hearing those words all three silenced.

"That's better." Seifer said smiling. "You can continue with the briefing babe."

"Well actually Commander Leonhart is going to continue with it."

"Oh great, Puberty boy is coming." Seifer scowled playfully as he looked at his wife who gave him a disapproving look.

"Here is the current situation cadets. We think it might be the same enemy who attacked Dollet and that means that we have a rough sorceress to deal with." Squall said as he walked out to the awaiting crowd. "I want to make sure that everyone knows what the main objective for SeeD is."

"To fight and kill all witches." One of the cadets said as he gave Luna a mocking glare. "We already know where one is."

"Wrong, but I would have guessed that I would receive an answer like that. The main objective for SeeD is to stop those sorceresses who are trying to gain world domination and give protection to those who are trying to live normal lives or using their powers to help people." Squall said with a stern look at the boy. "And just so you know. Give my daughter one more of those looks or say anything like that again and I am personally going to pluck your eyes out and turn them into Christmas tree ornaments. Understood?"

"Yes sir." The cadet said frightened.

("Thanks dad.") Luna thought relived.

"Remember that this might become a life and death situation so don't hesitate to help a fellow cadet or SeeD if you can. I wish you all good luck."

Raine who still felt ashamed to face Julia yet ran to their dorm where she met her sister along with Jane.

"Julia, I..." Raine tried to say. ("What shall I say? There is so much.")

"Let us talk later. Right now isn't the time" Julia said as they ran past her, but stopped just a few meters down the hall and looked at her sister with a thin smile. "This gives us both a reason to come out from this alive."

Raine gave a thankful nod and a smile before disappearing into the dorm to change to her uniform.

"Let's hurry Julia or else we will be late." Jane said a bit distressed.

"Okay." Julia answered before continuing to run.

Just then one of the enemy ships fired it's cannons and the Garden took it's first hit and the whole Garden shook by the impact.

"Are everyone okay?" Luna asked her squad.

"Yeah, I am okay." Keith said.

"Mind your own witch." Amanda who had fallen to the floor spat at her as Tiffany and Kim helped her up.

"Sorry for caring." Luna said irritated."They might try to come trough the windows in the classrooms, so you three secure the classrooms while I and Keith secure the door to the balcony and emergency exit."

"And why should we do that?" Tiffany said

"Because I say so. Are you questioning a direct order because you think it is bad or because it was me who gave it?" Luna asked angry.

"Why should we obey a fucking witch?" Tiffany said. Tapping her mace against her shoulder.

"Because I was given the command and thereby the responsibility, so deal with it or go to hell. I don't like this any more than you do, but this is a real battle so we don't have time for bickering right now." Luna said as she laid all her confidence and strength behind the words. "Those things will get us and others killed out in a battle field like this. So move it."

The three cadets stood there looking at her before moving away muttering.

"You told them of pretty quick this time." Keith said. "Those three seems to be extra mean towards you."

"Yeah, it's hard to believe that we were close friends once." Luna said with a sigh.

"You were? You mean those bitches used to be your friends?"

"Yes. It was me, May, those three and one more who transferred a year before everything started.. They were the first ones to abandon me, and then the rest followed until I just had May left. And they even managed to destroy that to."

A loud bang was heard as the Garden took another hit followed by a scream as Amanda came running.

"Kim is hurt. Tiffany is with her right now."

"What happened?" Luna asked as she followed her back.

"They hit the classroom just as she walked into it." Amanda said. "She stood by the window just as they hit it."

They entered the classroom and found Tiffany sitting by a badly burnt girl who still held her daggers in her hands.

"What the fuck is she doing here? It is that fucking witch fault for ordering us here." Tiffany screamed hysterically with teary eyes as she stood up.

"Stop it." Keith said angry as he slapped her while Luna sat down by Kim's body. "I usually don't hit girls but you need to calm down and get your acts together."

"She has no fragments in her body. She is lucky " Luna said calm as she placed her hand on Kim's forehead and took her hand in the other.

"She is nearly burnt to a crisp for Hyne's sake. What does it matter if she has any fragments in her body or not?" Tiffany cried.

"Because as long as she doesn't have that, I can heal her." Luna said calmly. "Kieth, I am going to need your help now if this will work. Amanda and Tiffany, I need your help to"

.

"What do you need us to do?" Kieth asked.

"To heal her I have to merge our souls temporary and during that time I will share all pain with her. I have done it once with Raine and I almost lost focus due the pain so I need you to hold me and support me." Luna said and then looked at the two other girls. "You two have to hold down Kim because she will start to struggle. We don't have much time so take your places"

Tiffany and Amanda sat down on each side of Kim and took a firm grip around her arms while Luna laid both her hands on the wounded girl's head. Kieth sat down behind Luna and laid is arms around her.

Luna closed her eyes and concentrated all she could and Kim started to shiver in spasms.

"What is happening?" Tiffany yelled terrified as Kim and Luna started to glow.

"Luna, are you okay?" Kieth asked worried.

"Yeah...just keep...focus." Luna said as she felt the pain screaming in her mind as she melded her soul with Kim's.

Suddenly the burns started to shrink and in the end disappear. Kim opened her eyes slowly.

"What...happened?" Kim asked a bit confused as she rose up into a sitting position. "And why is my uniform in shreds?"

"You got injured by an explosion. You almost died" Amanda said as she and Tiffany hugged Kim in pure happiness as tears streamed down her face. "Luna healed you and probably saved your life."

"She did? But...why?" Kim asked surprised as she looked at a pretty tired Luna who got supported by Kieth. "Why...why did you save me?...After all those mean pranks we have played on you and tried to your life a living hell? And especially after what my brother tried to do and that dead cat yesterday. You if anyone would be happy to get rid of us"

"I can't let someone die if I can help it. It is enough that May died and I could do nothing." Luna said as she rose up still supported by Kieth. "And after all we used to be friends once. I don't care if it is me who must take the first steps. I just want to have friends again. It is no fun being alone and shunned just because you happen to have a gift you can't do anything about and never asked for."

"You see...I started to hate those powers and by that myself to that so badly...that I was close to suicide after the rape attempt. It was pure luck that Keith came when he came and talked me out of it." Luna continued. " That is why I have started to fight back for real now. It has nothing to do with revenge...but simply to survive."

The three girls looked at her silent and obviously chocked, but you could also see how ashamed they were for all they had done.

"Can...can you ever forgive us for all we have done." Finally Kim said.

"Sure, I don't want to hold a grudge against anyone." Luna said as she looked at her team mates with a smile. "Anyhow if I remember correctly you Amanda is pretty handy with a rocket launcher. You used to blow up pretty much when we were little. For example nearly every doll house you had."

"Yeah, you remember." Amanda said smiling.

"Then you Tiffany will be responsible to get a rocket launcher here while you Amanda prepare yourself for the shots. Kim, you will be responsible to inform Instructor Trepe Almasy about what we are planning to do. We are going to try to take the battle to us by blowing up the ships cannons so we don't have to be sitting ducks like now." Luna said. "And I don't want to hear any complains. Understood?"

"Yes sir." Everyone said before running away to do their duties.

("Wow, they listened without protesting.") Luna stood there almost shocked.

Down in the infirmary it was pretty hectic and Julia had her hands full along with the rest.

"Hope we can fight back soon because I don't know how this will end else." Julia said. To herself as she put a bandage on a patient. "No one will be able to fight if this will go on."

"Here comes another one" Jane said as she helped one with a sprained ankle into the infirmary. "Many fell and hurt themselves when we got hit. It is a tough job to be in the salvage team but I wouldn't trade with you with all the injured that lies around here."

"Yeah, it starts to wear on me." Julia said. "but there is no time to rest right now. There is so many to tend to."

"Yeah, you starts to look like hell."

"Geez, thanks." Julia scowled playfully.

"No problem, but seriously, you look like you should need some rest"

"Yeah it would be nice. I will stay in my bed a whole day as it feels." Julia said with a tired frown as she looked at some cadets who stood and talked. "Hey, you two. Stop slacking of and start working. There are plenty of things to do."

"Lazy asses." Julia muttered as she turned to Jane again.

"I understand why you have it hectic. To be in charge isn't the easiest thing to do." Jane said concerned

"No, especially with all those who try to sneak away from their duties." Julia muttered

"When all this is over, I will help you release your tensions." Jane said as she stroke Julia's cheek.

"I am looking forward to it. " Julia said wit a tender voice. "Now I must tend to my duties but you shall know that I am glad that I have your support."

"Always Sunshine." Jane said as she walked away to help some cadets to bring in another injured.

Raine fought hard down in the MD level to keep the Garden functioning together with the rest in the maintenance team.

"Get your lazy asses over here. I have found something that might cause us some trouble." Raine said as she saw one of the hovering reactors. "If this crashes we will just have two reactors to rely upon."

"You all heard the lady." Zell said before turning towards Raine. "I will take two thirds of the cadets and check the other generators."

"You do that. We can't afford to loose even one." Raine said. "And Zell...Please never ever call me lady again. It freaks the hell out of me."

"He he don't worry Raine." Zell chuckled as Raine's team climbed inside the room with the generator, but just as they came in the generator exploded and injured a lot of cadets and SeeD.

"DAMN." Raine screamed in pain as she got hit by some debris.

"Common everybody. Let's help those who are wounded ." Zell said before he ran worried towards his friend's daughter who had been hit. "Raine, are you injured?"

"I am alright. It is just some scratches." Raine hissed at the pain in her shoulder, leg and head as she tried to rise up but almost fainted.

"Don't be foolish. Those wounds needs to be taken care of." Zell said as he catch her. "Squall would kill me if something happened to you."

"But there are others that need treatment and we just lost one of the generators." Raine protested a bit groggy "We must...we must fix it."

"The generator is completely trashed and need to be replaced." Zell said as he helped Raine lay down. "I am going to call an emergency team down here to help the wounded to the infirmary."

Back on the second floor Tiffany had just returned with a rocket launcher and Amanda calmed herself and aimed.

"Take your time." Luna said supporting. "I believe in you."

"Thanks." Amanda said and then fired the first shot and blew up the first ships cannons.

"Hurry up and reload." Luna said to Tiffany. "We need to take out those cannons before they can inflict more damage on the Garden. We are almost at the shores of Trabia where we can take the fight to us."

"Reloaded and ready." Tiffany said as she gave the reloaded rocket launcher to Amanda who aimed and blew up the second ship's cannons.

"I have told instructor Trepe Almasy about what we are doing and she told the Commander who is mobilizing an offensive force of SeeD to take care of them as fast as we have gotten rid of the cannons and reached land." Kim said as she returned.

"Good work." Luna said to her while Tiffany reloaded for the next shot.

But just as they were going to shoot the enemy opened fire against them.

In the infirmary Jane ran to Julia.

"We have gotten a distress call from the maintenance team and need you to be ready because there are those who are seriously injured."

("Oh no, that is the team Raine is in. I hope she is okay.") Julia thought as she felt her guts froze as the salvage team gathered stretchers and other medical equipment.

"I am sure Wrench is okay. It will take much more to take her down." Jane said comforting. "I must go but I will come back as fast as we have helped the wounded here."

Back in at the special team, Luna and the others had their hands full to avoid the shots.

"We can't hide here forever." Tiffany yelled over the noise.

"Yeah I know. We already know where they are going to aim the cannons next." Kim said. "They are going to blow up the balcony so we can't take out the last cannon."

Luna thought for a moment and then looked at Amanda and asked. "How fast can you be with the rocket launcher?"

"Well, I can be pretty fast with that, but not faster than a bullet. Why do you ask?" Amanda said confused.

"I think I can rise a shield to protect us but it wont last long so you have to fire the shot within a minute." Luna said. "Do you think you can do that?"

"Well I can try." Amanda said insecure.

"I believe you can and it is our only chance." Luna said. "Are you ready?"

"At least as ready I can be." Amanda said nervous.

"Okay, on three then. One, two three." Luna counted down as she and Amanda stood up and Luna rose the shield while Amanda fired the rocket and hit the target and then fast got down again as the shield broke down.

Just then the Garden reached land but the enemy ships weren't to far away after to the shores and enemy troops started to run out from them along with a few tanks.

"I think we should get going to secure the other areas." Luna said. "They might have some hovercrafts."

Down in the main hall, the troops had just been engaged by the enemy and the walkway to the infirmary had been cut off just as Jane who was supporting Raine and a few other from the rescue team with some wounded came up.

"Oh shit. How the hell do we get to the infirmary now?" Jane cursed.

"I have an idea...but we need to get to the...parking lot." Raine said hissing out of pain. "Chris and Tessa...clear the way there."

"You can't be serious." Jane said as she understood what Raine was going to do.

"We don't have...too many..options." Raine said. "Julia...need us."

Down in the infirmary, Julia and the others fought to keep the enemy troops away while the nurses tended to the injured.

"We can't let them trough." Julia cried over the noise. "The injured ones are more or less defenseless."

"OUT OF MY WAY." Suddenly they heard a scream as Raine came at full speed straight trough the hordes of enemies knocking many them down just to fall and sending the motorcycle trough the rest of the enemy troops. Right behind her did Jane and the rest of the rescue team came supporting the injured

"Help them with the injured." Julia commanded before running to her sister who lay on the floor writing in pain as she had injured her shoulder even more in the fall. "Raine, we must take care of that wound."

"OUCH it hurts, it hurts." Raine cried in pain.

"Get a stretcher over here." Julia yelled to some cadets who immediately ran after medical equipment and then turned turned to her sister again. "You will soon get help."

"I am sorry...that I have..been such an ass." Raine succeeded to say between the hisses before falling unconscious.

"Don't worry about it. Let's have a long nice talk later." Julia said just as the other cadets came with a stretcher. "Thanks to you, most of the enemy troops have been defeated down here."

All SeeD and cadets gathered in the main hall as they heard a laugh as the sorceress entered the hall by warping.

"So it is you who attacked Dollet." Squall said. "Thanks to you many innocent people were killed or injured in that town."

"Low lives and and worthless cattle. The world will learn bow for the sorceress Kiltea." The sorceress said as she raised her hand and closed her fist and immediately everyone felt a strangling feeling just as if a string had been wrapped around everyone's throats.

Squall started to feel dizzy as the leaches tightened.

"Please stop it." Then a voice was heard from the elevator.

"It's enough, please no more killing." Luna said as she stepped out from the elevator followed by her team. You could see a small tear ran over her cheek."Why are you doing this? Haven't enough people been hurt already?"

"You wouldn't understand. You don't know what it feels like to be hated and scorn. To be shunned just because you exist. So take your miserable existence with you to your grave." Kiltea said as she sent an orb energy towards the small team of youths who were trying to shield them selves instinctively with their arms and hands.

Luna and the others got hit but something deflected the beam. When the light had dispersed they all saw Luna stood there with her back towards the sorceress as two pure white wings had shot out from her back shielding the rest of the team.

"You are wrong. Today it is exactly two years since I became an outcast" Luna said as she turned around towards the sorceresses as she looked down into the floor and then back up again with her eyes burning with resolve."But the hate must end somewhere. I wont let you hurt them even if they have treated me bad. I...I just can't let anymore people die."

"Then you don't have to. You will be the next to die traitor." Kiltea said as she unfolded a pair of black wings and charged towards Luna with a metallic spear in her hand.

Luna fast brought out the silverwings and deflected the blow. "Please stop it. Stop it before anyone else gets hurt."

"Never." Kiltea said as she struck again and Luna had to deflect it.

"Take care of the others." She yelled towards the rest of her team an then charged towards the other sorceress with a powerful swing and a loud noise came as the weapons met.

Everyone watched exhausted after the magical leashes had disappeared from their throats as the two sorceresses fought and got closer and closer. It looked like a fight between an angel and a demon as the two fought with their wings outstretched in an airborne dance of destruction. Kiltea sent energy blast after energy blast that Luna dodged and then charged and struck her gundaggers against Kiltea's spear.

Luna felt how her powers grew and rushed trough her body and mind by her determination to protect the others as her body began to glow in a blue hue. ("I can't let anymore die if I can help it. I have to protect the others.")

"I will send you to the eternity and take your powers." Kiltea screamed at her as she charged towards her.. "And then I will kill every last one of your friends."

"No, you wont." Luna said calm as she looked at Kiltea with glowing eyes and just as Kiltea's spear once again clashed with Luna's gundaggers the light radiating from Luna's body became so strong that it hurt to look into it. When the light died down both Luna and Kiltea had disappeared and everything went quiet.

"LUNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" A voice pierced the silence as Julia stood there with tears flowing down her cheeks.

There is one more chapter coming. Hope you have enjoyed the story and liked most of the turns and twists.


	10. An Angel Have Landed

Hi again! This is the last chapter. Hope you have enjoyed the story.

Chapter 10: An Angel Have Landed

(Sunday August 15th)

The next morning, Jane walked into the dorm that the twins shared and saw cupcakes everywhere. She looked at Julia who just picked out another badge from the oven.

"Have you baked the whole night?" She said as she picked one up. "These are Luna's favorite aren't they?"

"Yeah, Selphie asked me to do that some weeks ago for the Garden festival...But to be honest, with one sister missing and the other in the surgery I don't feel to much to party right now" Julia said with red eyes from crying. "I just had to do something other than just stare into the wall."

"I understand that." Jane said concerned as she walked to Julia and took her hands in hers. "Wrench operation went well at least and she should soon wake up. I think you should be there then. You and Wrench need each other right now."

"I...I guess you are right."

Raine woke up and looked around but all she succeeded to see was a lot of medical equipment and felt a light throbbing pain in her shoulder.

"Where...where are my sisters?" She asked still half asleep. ("I understand if not Julia is here by the way I have treated her lately, but I thought that Luna would be here at least.")

"I bet Julia will show up as soon she knows that you are awake." A nurse said.

"Yeah, but what about lil' sis?" Raine asked as she started to feel a little bit worried.

"I don't know how to tell you this but...she is MIA."

"WHAT?" Raine said now clearly awake. "You mean she is missing? Why the hell aren't you out looking?"

Julia walked out into the main hall together with Jane, but as fast they came trough the entrance they heard a lot of cursing and screams. ("Oh Hyne, she is already awake.")

"Where is she? Let the hell go of me."

"You have to calm down." A nurse could be heard.

"Where is my little sister?"

"You are not strong enough yet to walk on your own. You should go back to bed." Another nurse said

"I have to find her."

"Bring some sedative. She is out of control." A third nurse said

"No please, no needles. I can't find my sister f I am drugged" Finally Julia heard the panicked voice yell out and began to run towards the entrance to the infirmary. "NOOOooo"

When she arrived she saw her twin sister sinking down on the floor still just in her hospital robe and her arm in a sling sobbing quietly surrounded by exhausted nurses who called for a bed. She had also knocked one nurse down with her crutch "Please...let me go."

"Raine." Julia yelled as she ran to her twin and embraced her there on the floor .

"She is gone, she is gone. Our little sister is gone and no one is doing damn thing to find her " Raine cried against Julia's shoulder. "Why?...Why her? Of all people, why her?"

"Luna is tougher than she looks. She will come back." Julia said calm as tears streaming from her own eyes. Suddenly she noticed the crowd that had gathered around them. "What the fuck are you looking at?...Are you all enjoying the view?...Are all of you happy now that the little witch is gone huh?..CAN SOMEONE ANSER ME GODDAMMIT?...Or have everyone just lost their ability to speak all of sudden?"

"What the hell did Luna ever do to you to deserve to get treated like shit? " Julia said as she shed tears of anger while she cradled her crying twin.

"For Hyne's sake she were just a little girl and always sweet and kind towards everyone...But you just saw her as a sorceress. She...she didn't do anything wrong. All she wanted was to save her sister from dying." Julia continued.

"She is right." Suddenly Amanda said as she stepped forward and looked around the crowd. "We have all been fools, and what we have done is unforgivable. She always cared about us, but we still treated her like crap. And still she found it in her heart to forgive us. We who were her closest friends, but were the first ones to betray and abandon her."

"Where were we when she needed support and comforting like when her best friend died ?" Tiffany said as she to stepped forward. " We didn't even try to stop it when her kitten got thrown over the railing and all she could do was to watch as she got killed against the hovering ring. We scared her body and taunted her even more, almost crushing her to the verge of suicide...But that wouldn't have been suicide...Each one of us would have been smeared with her blood on our hands. I...I feel so ashamed for myself and the way I have acted."

"But you saw what powers she had." A boy said. "She is so powerful compared to the rest of us."

"Yes she is, but how have she used that power? She used it to protect us and have never used them against us willingly. She could simply just have walked away and let us fight ourselves...but she didn't." Now finally Kim walked forward. "She fought to protect us, even if she didn't owe us a shit. And thanks to her none of us did die."

"But she was a sorceress, a damn witch. Why are you protecting her?" Ewan said. "She almost fried me and she even broke your noose."

"Your brother has a point. He told us that he almost got killed by her." Her father said.

"So he did? Did you also told you what you tried to do when you got blasted?." Kim snapped now with tears to in her eyes as she looked at her parents and then at her brother. "Did you tell them that you tried to rape her when it happened? Did you tell them that you beat the very crap out of her last week? You if anyone should be happy that she where there...She saved my life despite the way we treated her...the way I treated her. She could easily have just watched me die of my injuries and burns...but she didn't. She even healed that broken noose that I so much deserve and shared my pain...and during that short time we merged I felt her pain...not physical pain but far worse...the scars in her soul we all have caused. She didn't hit either me or Tiffany to get revenge. She simply tried to survive. So sure she is a sorceress...but at the same time she was far more human than any of us all."

A deafening silence fell over the crowd as the shame came over the people.

"So instead of just standing here and doing nothing, each one of us who isn't injured or working with either repairs or tending to the injured would be out looking for her." Tiffany said in the end breaking the silence.

Squall walked into the conference room where Xu, Quistis, Seifer, Selphie, Irvine, Nida, Amie and Zell already had seated around the table.

"What are you doing here?" Quistis said concerned. "Why aren't you with Raine and Julia?"

"It is my duty to..."

"Cut that crap out." Seifer said angry."I thought that Rinoa taught you that some things are more valuable than work."

"Don't you think that I rather would be with them?" Squall said irritated. "For Hyne's sake, my youngest daughter is missing and my oldest is in the infirmary after surgery, but who will do my work if I don't?"

"We will do it." Quistis said calm as she walked to her friend. "Go to your daughters now. Take care of them and we will take care of the Garden."

"Yeah, tell them that we are going to do whatever it takes to find her." Selphie said. "The whole Trabia Garden is already out looking for her. To bad no one is of our own is out looking yet except for one. Kieth have barely slept or eaten anything between the rounds."

"Thank you guys." Squall said as he walked out, but when he came out from the elevator he saw something that surprised him.

"Your team will search around the Trabia west coast. Tessa and Chris will fly you there." Amanda said to some cadets before turning to towards Squall and saluted. "Commander, I know this may count as both mutiny and disobedience, but neither me Tiffany or Kim could wait for the formal orders to try to find her. And everybody else seems to have gotten swept into it to."

"Have I missed something? I thought you didn't care about her." Squall said confused.

"We didn't, and it was foolish of us. So the very least we can do to try to make up to her is to try to find her." Kim said as she walked by. "After all she did save us all, and me twice. By the way the team for the Shumi village is ready, but we have to hurry. A blizzard is coming."

Luna woke up in the cave where she had slept to regain some strength as she had hided away from the other sorceress. ("Where is she?")

She ate a SeeD-ration protein bar she had with her to breakfast before leaving the cave.

Just as she walked out up an energy blast came almost hitting her. Luna threw herself out of the way just in time.

"Why don't you just give up? You must be exhausted by that spell." Kiltea said as she sent another blast. "Why are you even fighting to protect them? Humans don't care about us sorceresses."

"I can't let more people die. And there are people caring about me." Luna said as she deflected the blow with her powers while she tried to get close to the other sorceress as she drew the gundaggers.

"You know nothing about humans nature, do you? You don't know how it feels to see the one you love getting killed right before your eyes while no one did anything to prevent it." Kiltea said with venomous voice as she again charged with her spear against Luna. "You will never understand the pain I felt when I watched him die."

Then another memory flashed by inside her mind of how she tried to save her friend in Dollet just a few days ago just as she heard Kiltea's words and felt it sting in her heart.

"I...I know the pain. My best friend died in Dollet after stepping on an explosive...and I couldn't do anything despite how hard I tried. It completely broke my heart to not being able to save her despite my powers." Luna said as she blocked while tears started to emerge in her icy blue eyes. "I felt so guilty for not being able to help her."

"I see...So that is why you fight against me." Kiltea said with a cruel smile while she made another move towards Luna. "You are trying to get revenge. Oh I can feel your hate towards me. We are quite the same you and I, seeking revenge for a dead loved one."

"No, I don't hate you. Despite that fact you attacked my home and threatened my family. Despite the fact you are the reason that my best friend is dead. Despite thanks to you I am going to have a scar in my face..I don't hate you." Luna said as a tear trailed down her cheek. "I feel sorry for you. That you have become so full of bitterness and hate that you have forgotten how to love. That all you are capable to feel is hate."

"I don't fight with hate towards anyone but with love for my friends. Revenge only leads to more pain and suffering. " Luna continued. "I fight because I don't want anymore innocents to die...So please let us end this fight before anyone get killed. Let us show the world that sorceresses are not to be feared, that we are humans to."

Luna deflected another blow from Kiltea as she looked up and the fury in her eyes told her that the words didn't reach her, that the hate was to strong in her. "Humans will never accept us."

"NOW YOU DIE TRAITOR." Kiltea screamed as she threw herself towards Luna in full speed.

("This isn't good.")

Back in the Garden's infirmary, Raine had just gotten back to bed and Julia sat by her side.

"Julia, I... "

"You don't need to say anything." Julia said with a soft voice.

"Yes I do. I have been such a jerk towards you and Jane and I am so sorry for that." Raine said with shame. "You see. We have always been different in everything except the look, but some have expected us to share the same abilities just because we are twins. Like you have always had easy to take contact with people and the only contact I usually make is when they make me mad and I hit them...But when we had our night chats about boys I felt connected with you, like we at least had something more than just our blood in common...Now I wonder if it meant anything to you or if you just pretended to make me happy?"

"Our night chats are just as important for me as they are to you for the exact same reason." Julia said. "We are sisters and always will be. And even if it is not about boys, I hope we will continue with them. So of course I will forgive you."

"Thanks sis." Raine with a faint smile but then turned serious. "Do you think lil' sis will come back?"

"Of course she will." They heard a voice and saw their father stood at the door. "She is strong so she will make it back somehow. I just know it."

Jane walked to Luna's dorm where she found Kieth tending to the memorial shrine Luna had for her late kitten.

"I thought I would find you here." She said as she walked up to him.

"Yeah, tending to this is the least I can do for her after failing her when she needs me." He said. "I wanted to go out with the next search party, but they turned me down and told me to rest...but how am I going to rest when she is out there?...Just what a great knight I am."

"What do you mean?" She frowned confused.

"It was my duty as a knight to protect her. " Kieth said with a trembling voice. " Every time I walk in here I am hoping to find her singing or smiling, dammit even crying is better...than to find her room empty. Just because I failed her...she is gone."

"You didn't fail her. You where there for her when she needed it and gave her your support. And believe me, I have known her almost since she was born and I know that if she can she will come back." Jane said as she laid a hand on his shoulder. "Come, I bet your family is worried about you."

Luna dodged get another attack and counterattacked and now the storm started to reach full power..

Suddenly without a warning Kiltea sent an energy burst towards her wish threw her to the ground where she lie trying to get up as Kiltea now stood over her with the spear. She felt dizzy as she tried to rise up. Her uniform was tattered and blood came from some open wounds.

"Time for you to meet your maker and then I will rule the world and taking revenge on it." Kiltea said as she held the spear, ready to impale the girl. "Here you have the reward for helping others."

("I...I can't get up.") Luna thought as she tried to crouch away. ("Is this the end? Will I die now?")

("I...I don't want to die. I have to much to live for now, to many people that cares about me and will be sad if I disappear. Dad, Raine, Julia...Kieth. I...I will die if I don't do anything fast.") Luna thought as she fought herself up on her knees and just as Kiltea stroke down her spear Luna deflected it with one of her gundaggers and then with all her strength plunged the other straight towards Kiltea's abdomen as she closed her eyes. ("I don't want to kill you but others will die if I don't stop you.")

She felt the blade hit something as she fired a round and and when she opened her eyes she saw one of the Silverwings deeply embedded into Kiltea's stomach.

"You...you killed me." Kiltea said furious with her last breaths.

"I...I am sorry...I didn't...want to kill anyone...But you gave me no other choice." Luna said with a weak trembling voice as tears streamed from her eyes, blending with the blood from coming from the reopened gash in her forehead. A pillar of energy shot out from Kiltea and hit her and she got lying there in the cold snow out of exhaustion.

Luna forced herself up and felt cold in her whole body as she started to collect firewood, even if she felt her head spin and knelled down. ("Oh, great. Not enough that I have ruined yet another uniform. I am also injured again. Why...why won't the world stop spinning?")

She succeeded to gather some sticks and lighted it with some matches and there she sat as she tried to get some heat in her body as she lie down on a bed of pine that she had made.. ("I wonder if someone is out looking for me? My family might be out along with their friends. Maybe not Raine because she looked pretty beaten up, even if they have to restrain her in her bed. Kieth might be out to.")

("Dad is going to kill me for messing up yet another uniform if not this cold get me first.") She thought playfully, just to try to ease her mood up as she closed her fist around the rings that once had belonged to her mother.

An hour went by without a trace of help.

("How will the others react after seeing what my powers are capable of? Will they despise me even more? Maybe even fear me? ") She thought as she saw the fire starting to die out, but she didn't have the strength to gather more firewood due to her injuries. ("I...I will probably never know, because even if dad, Julia and Kieth is out looking, they will never find me in time. So cold...So sleepy.")

With that last thought everything went black.

In the dream Luna once again walked in the flower field surrounded by fog. She heard a familiar squeaking sound as a black cat with a familiar white spot formed like a crescent moon on the chest came running from the shadows and stroke its body against her leg.

"Moonbeam, What are you doing here?" Luna exclaimed as she knelled down and picked her up.

"She is just happy to see you." A figure said as it approached from the fog.

"M-May, is that you?" Luna asked with trembling voice still holding her kitten.. ("Can it really be her?")

"Yes it is me." Her friend said as she walked out from the shadows smiling. "Thank you for forgiving me."

"No please forgive me." Luna said almost hysterical. "I...I couldn't keep my promise to you. I couldn't save you. I really tried, but I failed."

"Luna, you did your best and that what counts so you have nothing to feel sorry about." May said with a smile. "Thanks to you I could die in peace."

"You two were quite good friends." Another figure said approaching from the shadows to.

"Mom? What is happening?" Luna asked confused.

"You are between the world of the living and the realm of the dead where we return to the life stream and get reborn." Rinoa said

"Am I...dead?" Luna asked. " Is that why I can talk with you and May? Is that why I am standing here, holding Moonbeam?"

"Not yet, but you have to hurry. Try to call out to your knight trough your emotional bond. Your father used that when I drifted in space twenty years ago." Rinoa said as she stroke Luna's hair. "You don't belong here in this realm."

"I...I don't deserve that. I...I killed her. I didn't mean to, but I killed my enemy. I never wanted to kill anyone...But I did it" Luna said with teary eyes. "...I did it."

"You had to." Rinoa said gentle as she stroke Luna over the cheek. "She was so consumed by hate that the real person inside her died long ago, leaving only a shadow of hate behind inside her. You gave her peace."

"Just like you gave me. I would never have been that happy as I was when I died if it hadn't been for you." May said.

"Sis, are you coming?" Another familiar voice was heard.

"Wasn't that...Meyrin?" Luna asked astonished.

"Yeah. She calls for me so it would be a shame to let her wait." May answered with a big smile. "Farewell my friend. Hope that next time we see each other you will be gray and old."

May disappeared into the fog and Luna stood there with her mother.

"Now. Call for your knight. "

Luna concentrated and tried to send a thought to Keith.

Back at the Garden, all search teams had returned unsuccessful in their search and the mood were quite low inside the main hall. Everyone had gathered, including the Leonhart family with one short and Raine who was leaning against a crutch.

"We have searched everywhere without finding her." Tiffany said. "Not even a trace have we found."

"Yeah. If she is somewhere here around I thought that we should have found her by now." Amanda said. "Dammit, what was she trying to prove by engaging that sorceress on her own?"

"She didn't try to prove anything at all. That is just what she does. Protecting others." Kim said. "If I just had been nicer to her. But now it is to late."

"Don't tell me that you are giving up, are you?" Julia almost yelled.

"But we don't know where to look. She can be anywhere." Kim said. "Some of those who have been searching have given up the hope to find her and started to leave memorial gift by her room."

"Luna is not dead. I won't accept it." Raine burst out in anger. "She didn't give up on me when I was sick, so I wont give up on her."

The mood sank even more and some sobs could be heard over the silence.

Suddenly Kieth heard something inside his mind. ["Kieth, do you hear me? I am near the Trabia crater. Please hurry. It's so cold...so cold."]

"Luna?" Kieth whispered before looking at the others. "Everybody, I know where Luna is."

"Where? How?" Squall said as he looked at the boy in disbelief.

Julia and Raine were to chocked to say anything at all.

"She is near the Trabia Crater and alive, but we got to hurry because she said she is freezing bad." Kieth said. "I don't know how, but I could hear her inside my head."

"Okay, we need volunteers to the search team and some people to gather blankets and other medical supplies." Quistis said taking the charge. "Selphie, could you and Irvine take the Ragnarok and transport everything?"

"Of course. Let us handle that." Selphie said cheery. "Don't worry Squall. We will get Luna back."

An half an hour later they reached the crater and the search teams divided and started looking through the forest.

Kieth and Squall, who where in the same team looked through the northern parts of the forest. Suddenly Kieth got a strange feeling, drawing him in a direction. Then he saw her lying there. It still came some smoke from the died out bonfire. He rant towards her and knelled down.

"I have found her." He yelled to Squall as he stroke her cheek. "Luna, please say something."

But Luna just lie there silent with a shallow breathing. Her lips were blue against her pale skin.

Back at the Garden, Julia who where on hospital duty and Raine who still weren't strong enough to participate in the search stood by the radio listening for news. Then the radio cracked and Squall's voice could be heard. "We have found her. I repeat, we have found her."

"She is alive." Julia yelled happy as she first hugged Jane and then her twin as tears of pure happiness streamed down her cheeks. "Did you hear? She really is alive."

"And she is coming home" Raine said as tears emerged in her eyes to. "...She is coming home."

But the new found joy sank as the message continued. "She is unconscious and she is suffering from serious hypothermia. She also has open wounds We need a snow vessel and blankets and a stretcher fast."

A few minutes later they rolled a stretcher into the infirmary with a figure that almost reminded of a mummy, wrapped up in blankets over her whole body except the face.

Raine and Julia met their father's tired figure.

"Daddy, will...will she make it?" Julia asked with a shaky voice.

"Please, tell us she will be okay." Raine pledged.

"I...I don't know. She is in pretty bad condition according to Dr Kadowaki." Squall said. "They do all they can. All we can do is pray and hope."

"Daddy." Both Raine and Julia said with tears in their eyes as they got embraced by their father in a similar way as he had done fourteen years ago.

Kieth stood there talking with his family. "I know that you haven't seen me as much as you had hoped for due to the battle and everything that followed...But...well you see..."

"That girl really means a lot to you. Doesn't she?" His father said with a smile. "Go to her. She needs you more than we do right now. After all are we staying for a whole week, so we have the time to meet later."

Keith looked at his father and then his mother who nodded approving. "Thanks mom, thanks dad."

He walked into the infirmary. Luna lie there in the bed with IV-tubes and wires allover her body and bandages were wrapped around her wounds. She got oxygen by a nasal cannula. Raine could be seen fighting against the tears beside their father and Julia got supported by Jane.

He grabbed her hand gently, whispering. "Please, wake up Angeleye. Everything around here is so quiet and dull without you. We need you."

Inside the dreamworld Luna could hear a voice talking to her.

("Kieth? That is Kieth's voice.")

"It is time for you to wake up now." Her mother said smiling.

"Will...will I ever see you again?" Luna asked with an unsteady voice.

"In time, but I will always watch over you and your sisters, so good bye but not farewell."

Luna opened her eyes and with a weak voice she croaked. "Where...where am I?"

"You are in the infirmary. You are safe now." Kieth said in a gentle voice.

"Kieth...y-you came for me."

"Yeah, I heard your call." Kieth said."You are safe now."

"I-I knew that you would c-come looking for me." Luna said as she with teary eyes fought herself up and threw her arms around Kieth's neck and he returned her embrace. "I never doubted that you would come looking for me."

Raine hugged her father happily and Julia embraced Jane hard.

"I promised you that I would never leave you, didn't I?" Kieth said he to with tears in his eyes.

"Maybe it is not the time to talk about it right now, but maybe you could fill us in about what happened to Kiltea later. We found her body not far from where we found you." Squall said concerned.

"I...I killed her." Luna said as she still clenched her arms around Kieth's neck for dear life while shaking from the sobs. "She didn't want to stop fighting so she gave me no other choice. More people...more innocents would had died if I hadn't done anything because she was so full of hate that nothing else inside her existed...No love or joy...Nothing else than anger and sadness."

"It must have been though for you." Squall said as he laid his hand on her shoulder in a supportive gesture. "I had hoped that none of you ever would need to shed blood."

"It...it's okay. Now she has found peace and I am glad that I did it out of love and the wish to protect instead of vengeance." Luna said. "I am just glad that I have you all."

A little while later they had left the infirmary to let Luna rest and Raine, Julia and Jane had walked to the cafeteria and met up with Chris and Tessa.

"How is Luna doing?" Tessa asked concerned.

"She is doing pretty well." Julia said. "It is just that..."

"What?" Chris asked.

"During these last few days she seem to have grown older." Raine said. "It feels like she has matured a bit to fast for her age. She is after all just fourteen."

"She is the only one her age who have spilled blood to. Amanda succeeded in blowing up the cannons without killing someone." Julia said. "She is actually the cadet with most experience from death."

Back inside the infirmary, Luna and Kieth still talked after Keith had returned from dinner.

"How did the hospital-food taste?" Kieth asked.

"It tasted like it always does. I have had better. But at least it is food." Luna said playfully with a small laughter.

"Yeah, I can imagine." Kieth answered. "When are they going to let you out from here?"

"They at least want to keep me over the night." She said, but then turned serious. "You know out there...I actually thought for a while that it was the end. That you wouldn't find me before it was to late."

"I have to admit that it looked dark for a while, but when I heard your call we knew where to search."

"How does the others react? After seeing what kind of powers that reside inside me I mean?" Luna asked afraid of the answer. "Are...they afraid of me?"

"To be feared is even worse than hated. I...I don't think I can take it being feared, because then they will think I am capable of hurting them...But I will never hurt them...Despite everything they done to me, I will never hurt them." She sobbed quietly. "Why...why had things to turn out this way?"

"Try not think about things like that right now. It is better that you try to regain your strength." Kieth said as he gently cradled her against his shoulder. "Everything will be fine...I promise, everything will be just fine."

Inside the conference room Squall and the rest sat by the table.

"How are the repairs of the Garden going?" Squall asked.

"They are going just fine Trabia Garden had a spare hovering generator because they want to remain stationary." Zell said. "We are installing it right now."

"Sounds good. Then we are soon up and running on full capacity." Squall said before turning to Selphie. "How is the festival plans going?"

"They are going smoothly, even if we had to change the theme." Selphie said happy. "Everybody helped, even those who aren't in the festival committee."

"My Sefie-babe have really put her soul into this whole new theme." Irvine said.

"It will be a pleasure to see what you have succeeded with. Especially what new theme you might have come up with." Squall said as he turned towards Dr Kadowaki. "How is the status with the wounded?"

"Nearly everyone have been able to leave the infirmary. Right now it is just one bed that is still occupied, and I want her to remain over the night at least. But I think she can leave tomorrow." Dr Kadowaki said. "But I want to have a word with you later. Not as the Commander but as a father."

"That is okay." Squall said before turning towards Quistis and Xu. "What do you think about that issue we have discussed regarding the rewards for outstanding accomplishments?"

"We still think it is a great idea." Quistis said.

"Those kids have really deserved it." Xu followed. "Especially one of them."

"Then how about the disciplinary measures then?" Squall said as he turned towards the last member in the board.

"The only news I got is that I am going to release Tiffany from her latrine duty due to the request from your daughter, because she thought that she had learned her lesson." Seifer said. "I personally would liked her to continue with it because never have the toilets looked better, but try to say no to that little lady."

"I know what you mean when it comes to her ability to care about others well being, it is hard to say no." Squall said. "Then this meeting is over for now. Next meeting is tomorrow after the opening ceremony."

Up in the ballroom, Julia nailed up a banner while Raine was holding the ladder for her because of the sling she still carried her arm in.

"This will be so great. Selphie's and Tessa's idea of this years theme will be just great, even if it got changed in the last minute. But everybody that can is helping with the preparations." Julia exclaimed in delight.

"Here comes the last box of cupcakes." Jane said as she put down the box on a table.

"I can barely wait for tomorrow." Raine said smiling. "This will be the best Garden Festival ever."

(Monday August 16th)

Next day Kieth walked into the infirmary and found Luna dressed in her black jeans and a black t-shirt and her cap and fingerless leather gloves and of course the belts for the gundaggers. Her hair was yet again in a ponytail. He could see a bandage around her left arm and the wound on her forehead

"Hi Angeleye. Slept well?" He said as she noticed him and gave him a thin smile.

"Well, not really. I have been worrying about what might happen on today's opening ceremony the whole night. Will they fear me or will they pull pranks on me? The only reason that I look fresh as I do is because I just had a shower. And on top of that is the uniforms in my size out of stock right now wish makes me excused from wearing it like the rest." Luna said with an insecure frown. "For a while I even considered not going...but commander's orders are still orders."

"Believe me. Nothing bad will happen. Actually they where quite worried when you were missing and they were even out looking for you when you was missing." Kieth said reassuring as he looked her deep in the eyes as he tenderly stroke her cheek.

"They did?" Luna said in disbelief. ("They really helped search for me?")

"Yeah, so come now." Kieth said with a warm smile. "It will be fun. I promise."

"Okay. Hope you are right." Luna said a bit uncertain.

They walked out in the main hall wish looked deserted with only the decorations up.

"Where is everybody?" Luna wondered a bit uneasy.

"They are up in the ballroom." Kieth said. "We should get going."

A few minutes later they stood outside the ballroom.

"Are you ready?" Kieth said with a calm voice.

"Yeah...I guess." Luna said unsure of what to expect.

They walked into the room wish was pitch black.

(""What is going on?) Luna thought as she followed Kieth by holding his hand.

"SURPRISE!" Everyone yelled as the light turned on.

"Wh-what...is going on?" Luna asked both chocked and confused as she looked around the ballroom while her covering her mouth with one hand.

On the banners it stood phrases like. "Glad to have you back Luna." And similar things.

"Well thanks to us you have missed out two Garden Festivals because you had to hide from us, so we decided along with the Festival Committee to dedicate this one to you with the message of understanding and love." Tiffany said as she along with Kim and Amanda walked forward.

"We know that this won't make up for all we have done to you, and some things will we never be able to make up to you for. " Amanda continued. "But at least it is a little payback for everything you have done for us."

"As we said before. We have been fools treating you the way we did." Kim said. "And even so, you still helped us all."

"I...I don't know what to say." Luna said as some tears of happiness trailed down her cheek.( "Is this really happening?...Have they...started to accept me? They don't fear or hate me? It all feels like a dream.")

"You don't have to say anything." Tiffany said. "It is we who shall ask for forgiveness."

Just then Selphie entered the stage along with Squall and Quistis and Xu who whore their uniforms to.

"Before we start the opening ceremony for the annual Garden Festival, there are some things our Commander want to say." Selphie said cheery as always. "Let us all give a big applaud four our Commander Squall Leonheart."

Squall walked to the microphone and started to speak. "Recently we had a pretty hard battle and some of us got some smaller wounds, but fortunately no one died and we ended up victorious..For that we have a few cadets especially to thank for. So when I speak up your name, I want you to come up and receive your medal."

"Tiffany Lily Anderson, may you come up here." Squall called out and when the surprised girl had reached him he continued. "For your organizing skills and skills in bringing the others with you during the search, you hereby receive The Cross Of Tactics."

"Thank you sir." Tiffany said as she saluted and walked and took a place in the back of the stage as the applause was heard.

"Next up is Amanda Dahlia Brown." Squall announced as the next surprised girl walked up and stood beside him. "For excellent marksman skills you hereby receive The Sniper's Cross."

Amanda to thanked and gave the SeeD-salute and took place next to Tiffany.

"Next one up is Kim Lisa McGee." Squall announced next. "For your ability to relay important information and helping to organize the offensive front line you hereby receive The Bird Of Messenger."

She repeated the same as the others before standing next to her friends.

"Kieth Olaf Cornwall. May you come up here?" Squall said as the boy made his way there and took the same place the others had done once before him.

He could see how Luna's eyes looked at him proudly as she smiled at him as he returned her smile.

"For having comforted a fellow cadet and backed the same one up in the times of need, you hereby receive The Heart Of Companionship."

"Thank you sir." Kieth said as he repeated the same procedure and took place next by the others.

"Now last but not least. For having backed up and cared for her comrades despite her delicate situation, to have done far more than her duty demanded and risked her life for to save and protect others and at the same time shown good judgment." Squall now announced proudly. "Luna Rinoa Leonhart is hereby rewarded with Balamb Garden's highest nomination The Star Of Honor."

Luna stood there petrified and didn't know what to do. Suddenly she felts something she hadn't felt for two whole years, encouraging pats on her back and words as she slowly made her way towards the podium where her father stood waiting still with a proud smile. ("Is...is this really happening? No insults or other harassment? It is far to good to be true.")

She stepped up at the podium and looked at her teammates who nodded smiling at her, especially Kieth.

"I am proud of you and always have been." Her father said as he hung the medal around her neck.

"Thank you sir." Luna said with a happy smile and tears in her eyes as the room nearly exploded of the applause from the other cadets and SeeD,

From the crowd, she could hear them almost chanting. "Speech, speech, speech."

("What...what should I say?") Luna thought almost desperately, but calmed herself when she saw Kieth's and the others encouraging smiles. She looked out over the crowd and saw her sisters giving the same smiles. She took her place at the podium and drew some deep breaths and then the words slowly emerged in her head.

"I...I am glad and thankful for the nomination and there are some people I want to thank for supporting me along the way. First my father Squall Aaron Leonhart along with my sisters Raine Sarah and Julia Anne Leonhart. I also want to thank Keith who have been there for me trough a really tough period and supporting me along the way. And both in my mind and heart I am very thankful to my old friend May Nikita Lindsay and my mother Rinoa Allison Heartily Leonhart who both sadly have left this world."

The applauders thundered once again as she rose her hand to show that she had more to say.

"I am also thankful for finally gotten accepted for the one I am...to walk around without being afraid for what will come...But it is also a fact that two years of bullying have left wounds, some of them really deep that will take time to heal and it will take some time and effort for me to learn to trust you all again...as it will take for you to earn that trust."

"But I hope that this will be a start for a new better future where we can lie everything that has happened behind us."

Now the roof almost lifted due to the applauders and whistles from the crowd. Again they started to chant that they wanted her to sing.

"Okay okay, but I need a band." Luna said almost overwhelmed.

"Don't worry. Let us play like old times." Tiffany said as her regained friends took the instruments. "I know that we are one short, but maybe Kieth can fill her place on the stage."

"I would love that." Luna answered before turning to the audience. "For the first time in two years, we are going to play so listen closely."

The four friends started to play as a silence drew over the crowd that was listening as she began to sing.

"For a long time"

"It feels like I wandered in darkness"

"With just a candle to light my pat"

"The candle's flame, almost perished by wind of despair"

"Burns stronger now, than ever have before"

"Lighting up the road to the future"

"Never will I have to be afraid."

"Now that the darkness will vanish"

"Banned by the light from the candles flame"

"And that candle is called hope"

The whole day went on with a lot of fun and not once did anyone try to play tricks on her and Luna knew that the coming future would be quite interesting.

AUTOR'S NOTE

This were the last chapter in this story and I hope you have enjoyed it. I am going to write two stories more about the three Leonhart sisters. One about what happened after and one about what really took place two years ago that placed Luna in that situation. I would be very very grateful is you could leave a review about the story.


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